Nightfall
by Lord of Kavaka
Summary: She and her fellow NYPD officers had trained for dozens of scenarios, from natural disasters to another terrorist attack. The problem was no one seemed to know what exactly was going on. Season 3 AU. For CastleHalloweenBash 2018. Rated T. NOW COMPLETE.
1. One - 9:48 AM

**Nightfall**

* * *

 **ONE**

* * *

 _ **FRIDAY - 9:48 AM**_

* * *

It was a quiet day in the Twelfth Precinct. Detective Kate Beckett and her team had just finished wrapping up a case last night, so most of today was going to be spent doing paperwork. Normally, that would have been enough to convince her unorthodox partner, bestselling novelist Richard Castle, to stay home and work on his other job, which was writing.

However, it appeared that his mother, Martha Rodgers, was having some of her thespian friends over for a "luncheon". Castle had actually used the air quotes when he'd relayed his woeful tale to her earlier that morning. He had then gone on to inform her that the group of aging Broadway actresses would really just be lounging around the loft all day, drinking cocktails and regaling each other with tales from yesteryear. Needless to say, Castle had no wish to be ensnared in the women's trip down memory lane, having spent most of his pre-adolescence backstage during his mother's varying performances.

"Once," he had proclaimed, quite dramatically she thought, "was enough."

Beckett, having been entirely gracious and infinitely patient during his melodramatic complaining, had responded with a roll of her eyes when he had finally finished his rant with a huff, and then calmly asked if he was now finally going to put in his share of the paperwork. She knew very well that the author was just using the whole affair as an excuse to procrastinate, which she had learned over the years was one of his favorite things to do. Castle had, of course, scoffed at such utter nonsense, and promptly plopped down in the chair beside her desk, which had somehow become _his_ chair, even in her own thoughts.

The writer had definitely grown on her over the two plus years they'd worked together. At the end of last summer, Beckett had thought they might have been able to have more— _be more_ —but their timing had been off. She had been unfairly angry with him for most of the summer and fall, when he finally returned into her life. To be fair, it hadn't been entirely his fault. She now recognized that she held some of the blame for the bad timing. She'd been indecisive and had shut him down on numerous occasions. Plus, she had to remind herself, despite their amazing shared-brain ability when it came to theory building, Castle really couldn't read her mind.

But, in the end, things had somehow managed to work out. They were friends now. Good friends. Great friends. And he was single once more, having ended his relationship with ex-wife number two a couple of weeks ago. And there was that undercover kiss they had shared, which—if she was honest—was kind of magical. They hadn't talked about it, probably wouldn't talk about it, but it had been quite something. Beckett was unable to deny, at least to herself, the spark she had felt the moment he'd cupped her cheek. And her motivation for going in for another kiss might not have entirely been about the guard still watching them.

 _So…_

No, she reminded herself. They couldn't go there. They had their shot, and they'd missed it.

Yet…

No, she stubbornly reminded herself. She had a boyfriend. Josh Davidson. He was a cardiac surgeon. He rode a motorcycle. And he wasn't really there. But that was what she'd wanted, right? A relationship where she didn't have to fully invest, where she could keep one foot out the door. However, that wasn't what she really wanted. She told herself it was, but it wasn't. The truth was her relationship with Josh had been over for a while now, she just hadn't actually had the courage to end it. But she would. Soon.

A disturbance from the other end of the bullpen startled Beckett out of her thoughts. She jerked her head up, eyes flicking away from the computer screen as she swiveled around to watch as two uniforms wrestled with a belligerent man who had freed himself from his restraints.

"Yo!" Esposito shouted, jumping up. "Lock it down." He rushed over to assist the overwhelmed officers.

Beckett watched with mild amusement as her colleague bustled past the uniforms, shoving them aside. He easily took control of the situation, pulling the growling man's arm around his back and pinning him to the wall.

"Shut it," he hissed, deftly snapping the cuffs back around the man's wrists. And then, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, Esposito tossed the man back to the uniforms. "Check that the cuffs are secure next time," he instructed.

The two uniforms, both new to their beats by the look of their youthful faces, nodded, and then took back their charge. Sharing a look, appearing relieved at having the assist and chagrined at getting called out on their negligence, the two quickly escorted the cursing, shouting man towards holding.

Huffing, Esposito returned to his desk with stomping feet, shaking his head and swearing under his breath.

"Hey, didn't you tell me the same thing happened to you with your first collar?" Ryan asked, going for casual as his partner took his seat.

Esposito merely growled and pointedly ignored his friend's questioning gaze.

"Yeah, thought that," Ryan bobbed his head, grinning, before turning back to his paperwork.

Castle shifted in his chair, not bothering to hide his smirk at all as he arched his neck around to glanced at Esposito.

"Nice takedown, Espo," he said. "But you forgot the witty catchphrase."

Esposito scowled and stood up. He glanced around at all of them, eyes narrowing. "I'm going for coffee," he announced, and then stalked towards the breakroom as Ryan and Castle laughed good-naturedly.

Beckett suppressed an amused smile and turned back to her computer, furrowing her brow as she tried to recall where she'd left off before her mind had wandered and been distracted by the commotion. Hunching her shoulders, she glanced down at the form on her desktop, and after finding her place, she then continued punching in the data, transferring the information onto the NYPD intranet network database. Beside her, Castle went back to playing with his phone. He was attempting to beat his high score in Angry Birds. Even though he really wasn't contributing to the paperwork, he was still more than willing to act as a gofer for her, when she required a coffee refill, and when lunchtime came around, she knew he'd happily run out to get her something to eat.

She was close to finishing up copying the written reports over onto the department servers, readying to file it, when all of a sudden the power to computer cut out.

A muffled noise of exacerbation escaped her lips, but before she could fully engage with her anger over losing all her work, Beckett noticed that she wasn't the only one having power issues. Ryan was uselessly hitting the side of his computer monitor, and across the bullpen, other detectives were also groaning and bemoaning the loss of power to their machines.

Castle frowned as he glanced around. "Power outage?"

Beckett glanced back to him and shook her head, gesturing up. "The lights are still on."  
"True," he said. "Then why'd all the computers go out?"

"They're on a different system," Ryan answered, standing up with a scowl. "I knew there was a problem with electrical, but maintenance wouldn't listen to me."

Before Castle could reply, with what would no doubt have been a clever remark, the powerful sound of jets screeching across the sky outside penetrated the walls of the precinct, indicating that the aircrafts were flying low, much lower than was normal. Frowning, Beckett stood up just as Captain Montgomery emerged from his office. Following her lead, Castle stood as well, turning on his heels to face her commanding officer.

"Sir?" Beckett questioned, brow furrowing.

"Attention," Montgomery announced, voiced raised so that everyone soon quieted. "I need your attention."

But before he could speak, another set of jets soared past them, flying low again. The building vibrated from the power of their high caliber engines. Releasing a quick breath, Montgomery turned back to address the bullpen. It could have just been Beckett's imagination, but the captain appeared anxious. Montgomery held up a hand to regain everyone's attention.

"The Mayor's just issued a city-wide evacuation," he said. "This is not a drill, people. This is real. Whatever you're doing, drop it now. This is priority. All hands on deck." He paused, casting a gaze over his detectives and uniformed officers. "We've all trained for this, you know your assignments. Now let's get to it." He clapped his hands, and the bullpen erupted in activity.

Montgomery signaled to her. "Beckett, with me."

She quickly stepped up to follow him into his office, Castle on her heels. The captain noticed, but made no comment on the author tagging along.

"Sir, what's going on?" Beckett all but demanded once inside his office.

"The alert just came through, Beckett," Montgomery informed her. "It could be anything."

The ground trembled, and the lights above them flickered for a moment before stabilizing. Beckett glanced up, waiting to see if all the power would go out.

"Whoa! Was that an earthquake?" Castle questioned, eyes wide, head jerking around like an overexcited chicken.

"What? Don't be ridiculous," Beckett said, shaking her head and stifling the desire to roll her eyes.

The cacophony of low flying jets soaring above the building sounded again. Beckett pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought those jets were buzzing Manhattan. She was no military expert, so she couldn't say for sure, but with that speculation in mind, Beckett had to think that something pretty major was going on if the Airforce had jets flying that low through New York.

She glanced over at Castle as he frowned and reached into his pocket, retrieving his cellphone. He must have had it set on vibrate, because Beckett hadn't heard it ring, not that she could have heard much over the din generated by the powerful engines of the aircraft zooming over the city.

Castle caught her eye. "It's Alexis," he informed her, needing to raise his voice just a bit to be heard.

She nodded as he answered the phone and ducked out of the captain's office. Beckett turned back to Montgomery, who was picking up his desk phone and punching the number pad. His normally calm demeanor had fallen away, revealing a very worried and concerned man.

"Sir?" she was utterly confused.

"All I know is that this is _big_ , so big that the National Guard is moving in to assist," Montgomery said, waving a hand, as if indicating that that was all he could say.

"Are we under attack?" she asked, mind running on overdrive to understand the situation. She had just been a rookie the last time New York had been attacked, and that day—and the days that followed—had been etched into her memory forever. They'd come close to another such attack, not that long ago, but an act of pure instinct and luck on the part of one plucky writer had saved them. Beckett could only hope that she and her team had it in them for a repeat performance.

"No, yes… maybe," he shook his head. "Beckett, I don't know. Honest. At this point, you know what I know."

Beckett opened her mouth to ask more, but her captain cut her off with a gesture of his hand. He sighed and shook his head, flashing her an apologetic look.

"This isn't a case, Detective," he reminded her, sternly. Beckett was taken aback by the rebuke. She hadn't seen Montgomery this frustrated in a long while. "We've trained for scenarios like this. You know your duty, Detective." He paused, and then nodded. "You have your orders."

"Yes, sir." Beckett gave a stiff nod, and turned to leave. He was right. She and her fellow NYPD officers had trained for dozens of scenarios, from natural disasters to another terrorist attack. The problem, she thought as she marched back out into the bullpen, was no one seemed to know what exactly was going on.


	2. Two - 11:34 AM

**Nightfall**

* * *

 **TWO**

* * *

 **FRIDAY – 11:34 AM**

* * *

As one of the senior—in rank, not age—members of the homicide squad of the Twelfth Precinct, Detective Kate Beckett was given the glamorous role of coordinating the various other detectives and uniformed officers about their assigned tasks, and mediating any difficulties or issues that arose during those said tasks. Beckett did not like this at all. It was really glorified desk duty. She would rather be out on the streets, helping with the evacuation. Compounded onto this, Beckett was required to be an intermediary between the Twelfth Precinct and the military officer assigned to their district.

Castle's phone call with Alexis had been abruptly ended when, apparently, all cellphone service dropped. Later— _much later_ —Beckett would discover the reason was to contain news of what was happening. But at that moment, neither she or any of her colleagues knew the truth. The dropped call had made Castle anxious, which was understandable. Beneath the shallow playboy façade beat the heart of a loving father and devoted son. There was much more substance to Richard Castle than she had originally given him credit for, something she had learned over these past years with him as her friend and partner. In fact, it always warmed her heart whenever she got to see that side of him.

"Beckett, I'm sorry, but I can't stay," Castle had hastily informed her when she'd marched out of Montgomery's office. "I need to go to her."

Emotion had swum in his eyes, and Beckett's heart had clenched at the sight. Castle was a man who felt deeply, and she had no doubt he would do anything for his daughter. She knew Alexis was the most important thing in his life.

"I know," she had replied, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder in sympathy and understanding.

Castle had released a breath, and had bobbed his head in gratitude. His eyes had locked with hers, and they shared a long, meaningful look that spoke far more than words ever could, as well as words that neither of them could really bring voice to. Yet. But someday. They would. She was sure of it. It was now only a matter of time. But first, they needed to get through this crisis.

Beckett thought back to that moment, brow knitted together, as she glasses over to where Castle sat, restlessly tapping his foot, wringing his cuffed hands together in his lap. His face was a picture of worry and fear. Before he could depart in search of Alexis, the military had shown up, halting his departure. Castle hadn't really been receptive to Colonel Ian Rourke's explanation. She couldn't blame, not with the sounds of transport helicopters thrumming over them, and the continued Airforce patrols in the skies above. New York City had looked to be on the brink of martial law.

Colonel Rourke, a stern-faced man, had his MPs detain Castle, and when Beckett and her team objected to his action, the Colonel cited reasons of National Security. That really got in her craw, and she had appealed to Captain Montgomery. But her commanding officer, though sympathetic with Castle's plight, had concurred with Rourke.

Apparently, National Guard troops had shown up at most—if not all—the schools around the city to assist in the evacuation of the multitude of students. The need for an efficient and speedy evacuation meant that the numerous schools and their student bodies were being kept together instead of discharged out to their parents. Children would be reunited with their parents and/or guardians in designated base camps set up outside the evacuation zones. They learned through their new military guests that Alexis was part of Group D-X-47, which was setting up in the Meadowlands at MetLife Stadium.

"It'll be all right," Montgomery had said, trying to soothe the panicked author. "Alexis will be all right. My daughters are in another group. So I understand, Castle. I do. But you need to trust us, all of us, to do our jobs."

Though sincere, Beckett could tell that the captain's words had not been that reassuring to the intended recipient. Castle had shaken his head vigorously, and before Beckett could interject on his behalf, Colonel Rourke's MPs were restraining Castle and marching him out of the bullpen. Without hesitation, Beckett got into the Colonel's face and made her objections known. He had merely narrowed his eyes and recited the ambiguous need to protect National Security one more, before stepping around her to speak with Captain Montgomery.

Colonel Ian Rourke and his men hand quickly set up a makeshift command post in the precinct's lobby. Beckett had found it difficult to work and coordinate the evacuation of their assigned district while Castle had been placed in cornered, handcuffed. She'd lobbied for his release, but Colonel Rourke was being a stubborn bastard, worried about leaks and information breaches. She had tried to argue that Castle didn't know anything, but Rourke wouldn't listen. Eventually, she had to give up and focus on her job. She felt like a failure, doing so, but Montgomery had insisted. It pissed her off, but she obeyed orders. Castle didn't fault her for that, and somehow his understanding made it worse.

The squawk and crackle of a walkie-talkie snapped Beckett back to the present. Hard as it was, she tore her sympathetic gaze away Castle's defeated frame, and snatched the radio unit out of the cradle that was strapped to her hip. Holding it up to her mouth, she depressed the button to respond as she stared out the wide lobby windows at the street beyond, watching as military transport trucks carrying evacuees rolled by. Armed uniformed soldiers marched alongside the slow-moving trucks, escorting the vehicles out of the city. The sight unnerved her. It just looked wrong.

"Beckett, here," she answered just as a pair of jets soared by overhead. These flybys had been continuing nonstop since Montgomery had first issued the evacuation order. The loud blast of the jet engines put her teeth on edge.

Just under an hour ago, the Governor had declared a state of emergency. Martial law had gone into effect, and military personnel were moving in at a quick clip to replace local law enforcement in supervising and enforcing the evacuation. Captain Montgomery had been called away to One Police Plaza, making Beckett the senior ranking NYPD official left at the Twelfth Precinct.

" _Zones A1 through B8 have been cleared_ ," came Esposito's exasperated voice through the radio. " _Transports just picked up the last groups from B7 and B8_."

Beckett made note of the update, punching it into the tablet one of the Colonel's men had provided her with. She watched as the corresponding grids arrayed across a map of their evacuation zone on the screen flashed and shifted into a shaded green. Zones B9 and B10 remained yellow, which meant evacuation was still in progress.

"How are we doing with B9 and B10?" she asked, frowning.

" _Having some trouble with an apartment complex_ ," Esposito responded. She could tell from the strained quality in his voice that he was gritting his teeth in frustration. " _Found some squatters that don't want to leave_."

"Need any help?" Beckett asked, hoping for an excuse to get into the action.

" _Nah, we got it_ ," came his reply. " _Lieutenant Barrow and his men have been a big help_."

Beckett pursed her lips. Of course, being ex-military himself, Esposito had no problems working with the soldiers filing into the city. She glanced over at Colonel Ian Rourke and grimaced. Perhaps she should make a command decision and appoint Esposito the Twelfth Precinct's liaison officer. Sighing, she turned and looked back out the lobby windows at the troop transports rolling on by.

"All right," she said into the walkie-talkie, "let me know if you change your mind."

" _Roger that_ ," he replied said. " _Esposito out_."

Beckett placed the radio back into the holster on her hip and let out a long breath, carding her fingers through her hair. She itched to be out there, helping people, instead she was stuck in place, stationed in the precinct lobby, with Colonel Rourke and his command staff, and an ever increasingly worried Castle. She was still trying to get them to remove the handcuffs. It was a tad excessive, but Colonel Rourke appeared to be a hard-ass. Pacing back to the front desk, joining Castle. She patted his shoulder sympathetically as she put the tablet down.

"Any word on Alexis?" he inquired, voice thick with concern.

"Last I heard the bus transporting her just turned onto Canal Street, heading towards the Holland Tunnel," she replied. Keeping tabs on Alexis was the least she could do since Colonel Hard-Ass wouldn't let Castle go. It also eased some of her guilt for relenting to her orders.

Castle nodded, releasing a breath. "Then she's near the loft," he clenched his eyes tightly together. "You think Mother made it out?"

"Martha's a tough woman," Beckett reassured, not for the first time grateful her father had been out of town visiting her Aunt Teresa.

"How's it going?" Castle asked, jerking his head towards the walkie-talkie strapped to her hip.

"All but two grids cleared," she said, picking up her mug off the desk. A grimace touched her lips when she noticed that the coffee had turned lukewarm in the duration.

Her cellphone buzzed mid-gulp, and she nearly spit out what she'd drank. Her large eyes jerked towards Castle, who had also heard the buzz. Both of them had assumed the cellular network was down. Beckett had no idea how a call was coming through now, unless the restrictions had been lifted or had never been there to begin with, which made Alexis's dropped call all even more worrisome. If she hadn't been keeping tabs on Alexis through her position, Beckett would have been gravely concerned for the teenager's safety.

After shaking her head, she retrieved her cell from her pocket. Beckett furrowed her brow when she saw the caller ID on the small screen. Her chest almost clenched guiltily as she took a step away from Castle, lowering her voice as she answered the call.

"Josh?" she questioned slowly, confused. She'd just spoke with him not thirty minutes ago via the radio units provided by the military.

It wasn't enough for him to be one of the best cardiac surgeons in the city, or part of Doctors Without Borders, he also had to volunteer when the military put out a city-wide call for doctors to fill out the surgical roster at their forward operating base being set up on Liberty Island. She thought that was an odd place to set up a base, but the thought was that Liberty Island was located in a location that gave them access to both sides of the bay and was also far enough away from the city to be out of harm's way, so to speak. Whatever it was that was so dangerous that had them evacuating a city as big as New York was still, as yet, unclear.

" _Kate!_ " came his frantic voice. " _You need to get out of the city. Now._ "

She shook her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I have responsibilities, Josh. I'm not just going to abandon them because—"

" _Just get out!_ " Josh shouted over her. " _Now._ "

The vehemence and panic in his voice caught her off guard. It was then that she noted the loud racket in the background. She frowned, growing concerned.

"Josh, is that… is that gunfire?" she asked, it almost sounded like he was in the middle of a warzone.

" _Oh God_ ," Josh mumbled, not necessarily answering her, but responding to whatever it was he was witnessing out there on Liberty Island. " _Oh God, Kate…_ ," his voice changed to a resigned quality that was so unlike him that it actually scared her. " _I'm sorry. I should have… but there was never really enough time. I'm so sorry. You deserved better. We both did. But this is it. Just know I—_ "

Whatever it was that Josh was trying to tell her was left unfinished. The line, presumably on his end, was abruptly cut off, leaving her with the dead silence of a disconnected call. Knitting her eyebrows together, she stared down at her cellphone. Beckett felt an odd sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. There had been a finality to that conversation. It almost sounded like he was saying goodbye.

She had just a moment more to contemplate Josh's words when the ground beneath her shook violently, nearly knocking her off her feet. Castle tumbled from his seat, unable to catch himself with his hands restrained. Beckett swayed, stumbling forward in an attempt to help him, gripping the edge of the front desk for support. And then, in the distance, a deafening boom reverberated out from the bay. It was terrifying and frightening. Her eyes flicked up in the approximate direction, seeing a plum of fire erupt high into the sky above the building tops. An odd noise followed, a sort of deep pained bellow, unlike anything she had heard before. It filled the air, drowning out all other sounds.

An almost unnatural silence followed. All she could hear was her heart thumping in her ears.

And then a high-pitched buzz crackled out of the walkie-talkie attached to her hips, and echoed throughout the lobby on every other unit. She exchanged a baffled look with a stunned Castle when a panicked voice finally broke through the static.

" _Liberty's down! Liberty's down!_ "


	3. Three - 11:56 AM

**Nightfall**

* * *

 **THREE**

* * *

 **FRIDAY – 11:56 AM**

* * *

" _Liberty's down! Liberty's down!_ "

The panicked voice repeated the declaration twice more before it was cut off by what sounded like a muffled scream. And then there was static. Nothing but static. The white noise hung in the air for a long beat, everyone seemingly held motionless at the unexpected announcement. The old air raid alarms were triggered, the loud wails hampered somewhat by the thick stone walls of the building. Recovering her wits, Beckett heaved herself back up to her feet, helping Castle back into the chair. Wordlessly, she reached inside her pocket and took out her keys, unlocking the cuffs binding Castle's hands. No one objected to this.

"Thanks," Castle murmured softly, rubbing his wrists.

Beckett nodded, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, receiving as much comfort from the act as giving. She hadn't realized just how important and grounding his presence was for her. Despite the troubles they'd had in the past, Castle had somehow become the one constant in her life that she could rely on. It was utterly insane, considering how they'd started their unorthodox partnership, but the truth was Beckett found the thought reassuring. Pursing her lips, she straightened up and spun around, jabbing an accusing finger at Colonel Rourke.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded. "No more of this National Security bullshit. We need to know. Now!"

Colonel Rourke gazed at her hard, eyes narrowed as he weighed his options. He swallowed, and after a tense few seconds, his posture relaxed as he decided. He issued orders to his subordinates, before turning to meet her halfway.

"Under the circumstances," he relented in a gruff breath, "I suppose it's only right you're read in."

"Even me?" Castle asked, almost haughtily as he moved up into a position by Beckett's side, still rubbing his wrists.

Rourke grunted in a terse agreement, and gestured with them to follow. He marched at a steady clip, and neither Beckett or Castle had much trouble keeping up as the Colonel pushed his way through the lobby doors and out onto the front sidewalk. There was a plume of dark smoke rising high into the air from the direction of Liberty Island. The air raid alarm abruptly cut off, but the buzz of activity did not. The military personnel were hustling about, and the trucks carrying evacuees had increased speed. Above their heads, a pair of Apache attack helicopters veered towards the bay. The thrumming sound of their rotator engines reverberated off the front façade of the Twelfth Precinct. The Colonel released a quick breath, squinting his eyes as he watched them pass by overhead, before turning around and facing Beckett and Castle.

"Around 0400, several of our subs in the Atlantic picked up a large unidentifiable object approaching the Eastern seaboard," Colonel Rourke said. "All methods of detection failed. Russians denied having anything operating in the region, as did the other major powers. At approximately 5:23 AM, Eastern Time, the USS Annapolis was struck."

"Torpedo?" Castle questioned. Always the curious mind, Beckett welcomed his input. It was times like this that his keen mind made him invaluable as an investigative partner, though she'd never tell him that.

"Negative," Rourke said after a pause that he held for a second longer than was necessary, as if even he could not believe what he was about to say next. "Biological."

" _Biological_!?" Beckett repeated with a furrowed brow. "What does that mean? Did they hit a whale?"

"That was the initial thought, yes," Rourke bobbed his head, glancing up as another pair of Apache helicopters drummed by. "But when crews performed an external examination after they surfaced, what they found resembled… claw marks."

"Claw marks!" hooted Castle, turning to glance at Beckett with wide eyes.

Rourke sighed. " _Resembled_." Growling, he snapped his fingers at one of his lieutenants, gesturing him over. He mumbled some orders to him, keeping his voice low so that neither Beckett or Castle could hear what he was saying.

Beckett stood there, grating her teeth, not sure what to believe or even, for that matter, think. It all sounded so absurd. Even Rourke appeared to have trouble believing what he was saying. Yet there was that steady thickening cloud of smoke rising up into the sky. If anything, that was evidence that something was going on, that something had attacked Liberty Island. Something had terrified Josh enough to call her and say goodbye. So, there was something out there, right now. But what was it?

"Colonel!" she shouted as he turned to walk away.

He halted, arched his neck back to look at her. "Detective?"

"You still didn't explain what all that had to do with what just happened out on Liberty Island," she gestured towards the plume of black smoke.

Rourke raised an eyebrow. "Our forces made contact with and engaged the unidentified biological."

"And lost," Castle added, somewhat soberly, glancing at Beckett with a sympathetic look.

She pursed her lips and averted her gaze, thinking of Josh, and what she should be feeling, but not feeling. It made her heart clench with guilt. But it had all happened so fast, and she still didn't know what exactly had happened. An unidentified biological? Hell—that didn't even make any damn sense. Shaking her head, she frowned, returning to the question at hand: What was happening? She still didn't know, or really understand. And Kate Beckett did not like not understanding what was going on around her.

She opened her mouth, gearing up into full interrogation mode, intent on asking another question, when suddenly three jets screeched by overhead, low and fast, their powerful engines drowning out all other sounds. A strange muffled noise followed, something akin to a bellowing roar, but dulled by the distance and the barrier of buildings shielding them from seeing what exactly was going on. Beckett's head jerked up as a soldier rushed over with a portable communication pack.

"Sir, HQ on the horn for you."

Rourke turned and took the receiver from the soldier and held it to his ear. "Colonel Rourke speaking," he answered. His eyes narrowed as he listened. "Yes, sir. Understood." He placed the receiver back in its cradle and signaled to two of his lieutenants.

"Sir?" the two men saluted.

"We've got five minutes to gather what civilians we can and pull out," Rourke offered in a flat voice. "Snap to it."

"Colonel?" Beckett shouted. "What's going on?"

"We've been ordered to pull out," Rourke announced. "Collect your people, Detective. Command wants us heading for the Holland Tunnel ASAP."

"What about the rest of the evacuees," Beckett said, knowing that they had yet to clear two grids in their assigned district. "We can't just leave them."

"There's no time," Rourke snapped back, looking overwhelmed. "It's moving." He set his face, schooling his features, and then stalked off. "Mount up, people, we're on the clock!"

Beckett stood there, watching him march off and climb into the jeep parked by the curb, her mouth hung open in shock. This was utterly insane. It was like the world had been turned upside down. She didn't know what to think or do. She felt frozen in place, watching as the military personnel poured out of the Twelfth Precinct. Colonel Rourke shouted orders from his perch in the front passenger seat of the jeep, before slapping a hand on the driver's shoulder. Blinking, she watched helplessly as the jeep maneuvered around a squad of marching soldiers and took off towards the head of the transport convoy.

"Beckett?"

She barely heard Castle calling her name. Everything seemed so distant. Up above them, another air patrol soared by, one jet banking to the right, towards the Hudson River. It was almost like New York had turned into a warzone.

"Kate?" Castle raised his voice a bit as he touched her shoulder, startling her back to reality.

Beckett blinked rapidly, tilting her head back to look at him.

"Castle?" she returned, lifting her eyes to his.

"What do we do?" he asked.

She bit her lower lip as her brow furrowed in thought. The question of what was going on still hung on her mind, unable to let go. Colonel Rourke's explanation didn't make any sense. Something biological? From the ocean? A submarine had been damaged, and the forward operating base on Liberty Island—where Josh had been—was now gone. All of it related to this unknown, unidentified biological that had come from the ocean deep. It was surreal, like something out of a movie.

Snatching up the walkie-talkie, she called out to Esposito.

" _Beckett?_ " came his baffled and concerned voice. " _What the hell is going on? Lieutenant Barrow just said he had orders to pull out. We still have people here._ "

"No time to explain," Beckett said, snapping into action. Without glancing at Castle, knowing he'd follow her without prompting, she turned on her heels and marched back into the precinct. "Something's attacked Liberty Island, destroyed it. Military has orders to pull out and regroup off Manhattan."

" _Destroyed—?_ "

"No time," Beckett bit out. They didn't have any time for her to explain what was going on. It also did not help that she still didn't fully comprehend what exactly that was, but she supposed she knew enough to know it was dangerous to remain. "Find Ryan and get your asses out of here."

" _What about you?_ " came her colleagues worried voice. Always the big brother.

"I can take care of myself, Espo," she replied, her voice softening. "You just take care of yourself."

There was a brief pause before Esposito replied. " _Got it_ ," he said. " _See you on the other side, Beckett_."

"You too," she answered.

She strolled towards the armory, and stopped, hand held to chest as she took a moment to collect herself. Her heart was jackhammering beneath her breast, and her breath was coming in sharp pants. She closed her eyes and took slow deep breaths, attempting to calm herself and find her center. She needed to be in top form during this crisis, she couldn't afford anything less than her best.

Glancing behind her, she noticed that Castle had his phone out, staring intently at it. Seeing that he'd been spotted, his eyes jerked up guiltily and he offered her a weak smile.

"Seeing as Josh was able to call you, I thought it was worth a shot," he explained.

"And?"

He let out a disappointed sigh and shook his head, carding his finger through his ruffled hair. Beckett had to bite her lip and stifle the urge to reach out to brush back the hair that flopped down over his forehead. "Nothing. I can't tell if her phone is off or if I'm just not getting through."

"Try sending a text," Beckett suggested.

"All right," Castle nodded, and dipped his head down as he did so. After a few seconds a smile broke across his face, and Beckett felt some relief at seeing it. She hadn't realized just how invested she was in this… in him and his life… his family. "Her bus is still on Canal Street, there's a logjam getting into the tunnel."

"But she's okay?" Beckett asked, surprised at just how much she needed to know.

"Yes," he nodded, letting out a relieved breath. "She's okay."

 _For now_ , she couldn't help thinking. Sometimes the realist inside her was a bitch. "Good," she said instead, nodding, not wanting to alarm Castle more than absolutely necessary. But she knew he'd have to face the hard truth of the situation sooner rather than later. Turning back to the armory, Beckett punched in the key code and shoved the door open.

"Beckett?" Castle inquired, following her in, gasping when she tossed him a handgun as she pulled out some spare ammo clips. He glanced down at the gun in his hand, holding it awkwardly, like he was afraid it would go off. "I don't understand, what are you doing?"

"The military is pulling out and abandoning us, Castle," she explained in a tense voice. "And whatever it is that's out there is heading for the city."

Castle's eyes went as wide as saucers. A horrified look flashed across his ruggedly handsome features, and she knew he was thinking about his daughter in a bus stuck on Canal Street. There. That was it. He now comprehended the situation. She'd spared him a minute or two to reach that realization, but she didn't regret it. Castle had such an optimistic view of the world at times that Beckett hated tearing it down. Besides, she reasoned it was better for him to make this realization himself, as it would help fortify his decision to act knowing it was his own.

"Kate," he inhaled sharply through his nose, voice trembling. "Alexis. I need to get to Alexis."

Beckett looked up at him after double checking her Glock, holstering it. Her eyes softened in understanding. Beckett discovered she would do just about anything for this man, more so than she ever thought possible. It was a sobering revelation, but one she didn't really have the time yet to think about. She pursed her lips, and nodded, meeting his worrying gaze. "I know," she said, grabbing his arm in support, discovering she needed it just as much. "And you're not in this alone, Castle. I'm coming with you."


	4. Four - 12:32 PM

**Nightfall**

* * *

 **FOUR**

* * *

 **FRIDAY – 12:32 PM**

* * *

"Hold on," she gritted out through clenched teeth as she spun the wheel and punched down on the accelerator, sending her department issued Charger bouncing up onto the sidewalk.

When the air raid alarm had sounded, people driving their own vehicles out of the city must have panicked and caused numerous traffic collisions, blocking a good portion of 7th Avenue past 20th Street. Most had abandoned their cars in the middle of the street, and taken to foot. Some were still there, a mixture of ages, wandering around in a short of daze.

There was about four dozen people heading for the 18th Street Station. Beckett wanted to tell them that the subway was down, but perhaps they already knew that, and were simply hoping to use the underground as a temporary emergency shelter. It was a prudent idea, but getting off the island of Manhattan was better. Beckett ground her teeth at the sight, angry that Colonel Rourke had abandon these hapless people.

However, despite her strong desire to help, she wasn't really in a position to do so. She was, in a sense, going rogue in helping Castle get to Alexis.

 _Still…_

Honking the horn, Beckett slowed the Charger to a crawl and rolled down the window, needing to at least do something, even if it was the very minimum she could offer. "You all need to leave now," she shouted out at the stunned people milling around their idle automobiles. "It isn't safe. Head for Chelsea Park or the Lincoln Tunnel."

Most of the people just seemed to ignore her. She repeated her instructions, adding that she was a detective with the NYPD, just in case her title would sway them. It didn't work. Those who had stopped to listen to her just shook their heads and turned back to follow the rest of the crowd to the subway entrance. However, a small group, three young professionals—two women and a man—seemed to heed her advice. Beckett was pleased to see them heading in the direction of Chelsea Park.

However, her smile faded as a sudden thought crossed her mind.

"Kate?" Castle asked, always observant, noticing her worried expression.

"I just hope that there's someone there to help them when they arrive," Beckett answered. Colonel Rourke had said that they'd been ordered to pull out. She just had to believe that there was at least some still holding position at the Chelsea Park command post to assist those still remaining in the city in evacuating to safety.

Shaking her head to clear it of those grim thoughts, Beckett focused on the task she'd set herself to. Unable to do anymore for those choosing to shelter in the subway, Beckett maneuvered the car through the mess and drove further down 7th Avenue, looking for a clear path to get over to Greenwich Village. She kept with driving on the sidewalk, grimacing every time the Charger struck some obstacle in their way. The paperwork was going to kill her if the stress from this crisis didn't get her first.

They were passing the Wells Fargo Bank on 17th, when suddenly a family of four darted out into the street. Beckett slammed on the brakes as Castle cursed besides. She blinked her eyes, breathing a sigh of relief that she hadn't struck the young family. The mother was clutching a little girl—no older than three, and the father was holding nine-year-old boy in his arms. They all just stared at each other in stunned shocked at the near collision.

Beckett rolled down the window and stuck her head out. "You need to get off the streets," she instructed after identifying herself as a police officer. "There should be an evacuation convoy on 8th Avenue, heading towards Jackson Square Park. If you can't meet them, then head for a subway and bunk down."

"Thank you," the young mother said, nodding to her husband, and then headed off.

Beckett sighed, wishing she could do more.

Turning the wheel, she turned left down 17th. Castle cocked his head, and frowned.

"Um… Beckett, aren't you going the wrong way?" he asked. "Or do rules of the road no longer apply?"

She offered him a sideway glance and a barely there smile. Yes, she was driving the wrong way down a one-way street, but seeing as there were no other cars present, and they were in the middle of a crisis, she wasn't hurting anyone doing so. Besides, she need to get off 7th, it was too crowded with abandoned automobiles.

"It's more efficient this way," was her short reply. "Trust me, Castle."

"I do, implicitly."

"Good," Beckett nodded, and turned her focus back on driving, mentally mapping out a route that would get them to Canal Street.

After loading up in the armory, and while on the way to the Twelfth Precinct's motor pool, Beckett had used the walkie-talkie one last time to make contact with Esposito, checking to see if he had reunited with Ryan, and that her two detectives were getting their asses off Manhattan as ordered. It worried her a bit when all she had got back was static, but eventually Esposito's voice came through.

Beckett had shared a relieved look with Castle as they loaded up her Charger, when they learned that Esposito had found Ryan and that the two of them were presently hitching a lift with Lieutenant Barrow's team, and would make it out of the evacuation zone safely. During her brief conversation with Esposito, Beckett learned that Lanie Parish, her best friend, had already made it out, and was currently working to help set up a triage center in the Meadowlands to deal with any potential injuries that occurred during the evacuation. People panicked, sometimes enough to unintentionally injure others in the process. According to Esposito, from what he'd been told by his on-again, off-again girlfriend, most of what Lanie had seen so far had been bumps and bruises, nothing too serious yet. Beckett worried that that might change soon.

Gripping the steering wheel tightly in her hands, Beckett knitted her eyebrows together as she pushed her foot down harder on the accelerator, picking up speed. Castle's eyes went wide and he braced himself against the dashboard and passenger door as they zoomed around Washington Square Park.

"Are you trying to kill us?" he asked as she skidded around the corner so fast, they almost rolled.

Beckett flicked a quick glance over. "You wanna drive?"

"No," he gulped, eyes bobbled. "I'm good."

She pursed lips, suppressing a smirk as she gunned the engines, speeding past New York University as she righted them up towards Broadway. With a sharp turn, they skidded onto Broadway, heading South. Fortunately, with the evacuation orders issued earlier that morning, the street was clear. There were, however, a few random abandon cars here and there, but nothing Beckett couldn't handle.

As they approached Bleeker Street, there was a strange rhythmic vibrating that had nothing to do with the revering engines of the Charger. Castle frowned and glanced around, eyes narrowed.

"You hear that?" he asked.

Beckett shrugged, hearing nothing but the car engine as they sailed through the Broadway-Bleeker intersection. Her kept her focus on maneuvering them around some abandoned cars that were blocking their way down Broadway. Houston Street was in sight. From there they would be three New York city blocks from Castle's loft. She turned wide around a red sedan that was sitting in two lanes, then nearly clipped a white van that had been left, engine still running, diagonally across the street.

BOOM!

The ground vibrated with the sound. Beckett eased her foot off the pedal, slowing the car down just a bit.

BOOM!

It sounded again, reverberating off the streets and building. A low bellow, almost like a disgruntled growl followed. Beckett didn't know what to make of it. Something just wasn't right about it. Shaking her head, she pushed back down on the accelerator, taking them towards Houston Street. Focused on getting them across the wide intersection, Beckett revved the engine and punched forward.

Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, Castle yelped beside her and reached for the wheel.

"Castle!" she shouted, startled, completely caught off guard. What the hell was he doing?

Beckett hit the brakes, and the car skidded to a stop hard and fast. The seatbelt yanked into her shoulder and she grimaced, gritting her teeth. There was going to be a bruise there. She glanced over at Castle, ready to give him a piece of her mind for grabbing at the wheel. Was he trying to kill them? But the words died on her tongue when she finally saw what had caused him to act so recklessly.

Her eyes turned into saucers and her mouth dropped in a silent gasp of terrified shock at what she was seeing.

A large dark shape, nearly as tall as a skyscraper had plowed through the storefronts on the corner of Houston and Broadway. Gripping the steering wheel, Beckett leaned slightly forward, craning her neck as she stared up with a mixture of awe and horror, trying to see more. The shape, whatever it was, was big, really big. Powerful muscles rippled beneath what appeared to be a scaly hide. It almost looked like a bipedal dinosaur—a large horned tyrannosaur, maybe?—but crossed with an amphibian and a feline. It was so tall, she couldn't even see the head, just a good portion of its clawed foot and the leg, at least that's what she assumed it was a leg. She watched, in a kind of stunned dread, as it moved.

A loud, ear-piercing screech like roar resounded from up above them, presumably from the creature's head.

BOOM!

"Beckett!" Castle reached over to tap her shoulder, waving his other hand to the right.

Rolling down Houston Street were two tanks, and a small battalion of soldiers. One of the tanks had just fired. But it had missed, striking the building behind the creature, sending shards of glass and concrete raining down. The ground vibrated as the two tanks rumbled forward into the intersection, their guns swiveling to follow the lumbering movements of the creature. The soldiers formed up rank around the tanks and raised their weapons, firing at will.

"Holy shit!" Castle cried, almost grinning. "It's like were in a Godzilla movie!"

Beckett managed to refrain from rolling her eyes, because he was right. The creature did somewhat resemble the large movie monster. But, she thought, this one looked far more vicious and was definitely real.

A tank crossed in front of them, and stopped, two soldiers at the rear spotted them, and one held up a hand, signaling them to stay put. The tank rocked a bit as it settled into position. They watched as the cannon rotated around and arched up, taking aim. There was a loud boom as the tank fired.

The creature roared, bucking back violently in the building. The ground shook as if from a mini-earthquake, and Beckett held her breath, not really knowing what they could do but watch. Castle looked torn between delight and utter terror as the battle continued right in front of them.

Several soldiers got too close and the creature swung out at them with a strong tail as it formed up in a defensive stance. Beckett felt a strange sort of pity for the thing. It was, after all, just an animal. How it ended up here in New York, she couldn't say. But it was definitely something unique. Even if it posed a threat to her city, she really couldn't condone killing it.

The second tank rolled into position, gun craning up as the operators took aim.

The creature let out a loud, siren like wail, moving back into the crumbling mass of the destroyed building, like a cornered animal. But then, quick as a flash, it struck out. Its large body moved with the speed and agility of a much smaller creature. The soldiers on the frontlines cried out as the beast stomped on them, slashing with powerful arms that ended in four digit claws. Other soldiers were sent flying into the air from the whip like flick of the beast's powerful tail.

The large clawed foot, three toed—like a dinosaur—came down hard on the front end of the forward tank. To everyone's surprise, the metal bent and cracked under the force. The rear tank jerked as its treads wheeled to move it back, right into them. Castle let out a very unmanly scream as it tore through the front hood of the Charger enough to permanently disable the vehicle before the driver inside the armored tank realized that there were people inside the car. Outside, soldiers were shouting and yelling, still firing futility at the creature as it advanced.

"Castle," Beckett said, snapping out of her stunned stupor. "Get out. Now."

She unbuckled her seatbelt, and watched him do the same. Kicking her door open, Beckett swung out onto the street, wincing as the tank fired off another round at the beast. Jogging around the rear trunk of the Charger, she grabbed a hold of Castle and tugged him back with her as they both stared up at the creature, needing to crane their necks back far to even glimpse its blunted crocodile-like head.

God, it was massive! It moved with a raw strength and power that was unlike anything Beckett had ever seen in any living animal, and she'd watched a lot of the nature channel in her time.

"What do we do?" Castle shouted over the din of gunfire.

Heart jackhammering inside her chest, Beckett shook her head. "I don't know."

The tank fired up at the beast again, this time hitting its mark center mass in what she assumed was the creature's torso. But it did little more than make the thing angrier. It roared, so loud and deafening that Beckett had to press her hands over her ears in a useless manner that did nothing to stifle the awful noise. The tank lurched and rolled backwards, fully crushing the Charger. Beckett snagged Castle arm and pulled him back before they too could be crushed.

"Fall back! Fall back!" she heard the surviving soldiers shouting.

Not waiting to see what would happen next, Beckett grabbed Castle's hand and pulled him along with her as she backpedaled away from the scene. His larger hand engulfed hers, squeezing in support as he followed her. She looked over at him, seeing the terror she felt echoed in his face. Together, they turned around and ran. Her heart thumped wildly beneath her chest as she raced forward, legs pumping. Her panic fueled with adrenalin. Castle kept pace with her as they sprinted down the middle of the street, surrounded by retreating soldiers, some who stopped to lay down useless cover fire.

BOOM!

The tank rumbled back as it launched off another futile round as the monster advanced on its attackers. It was terrible, like being stuck in the middle of a disaster movie.

Beckett scrunched up her face, worried that they'd get caught in the retreat and trampled by the surge of bodies, not to mention the charging beast. The raging animal wouldn't care that neither she or Castle hadn't attack it. Thinking fast, Beckett yanked Castle with her as she dived towards the sidewalk. She quickly withdrew her Glock, took aim and fired, shattering the glass façade of a Crate & Barrel.

"Castle," she called, pushing him forward, one hand curled over his trembling shoulder.

Beckett jumped in behind him just as the creature advanced down Broadway, thundering loudly and lashing out at the surrounding buildings, sending shards of glass, metal, and concrete tumbling down. Castle ran ahead of her, darting around display cases as the ground shook beneath their feet. Outside the tank was still firing uselessly at the creature, only making it angry. Beckett glanced behind them. The monster stumbled back as it was struck, crashing into the storefront.

"Castle!" she shouted, reaching for the writer, urging him on.

The front of the building started to collapse, the world around them quaked as the whole building seemed to yawn before surrendering to the pressure. And then darkness took her.


	5. Five - 2:02 PM

**Nightfall**

* * *

 **FIVE**

* * *

 **FRIDAY – 2:02 PM**

* * *

Consciousness came back to her slowly. Her eyelids fluttered open lethargically, as if she were waking up after a late afternoon nap, to a scattering of light filtering through the cracks of rubble and debris that had once been the storefront of the Crate & Barrel. Gently, Beckett shifted, bending her elbows as she pushed up off the floor. She sat up and groaned, rubbing a hand over her forehead, hissing when she discovered a vicious cut. Thankfully the bleeding had stopped. Still, she should definitely get it checked out as soon as possible. Other than the cut, and a handful of bumps and bruises, she seemed all right.

Blinking, Beckett glanced around the ruined store. Now that she had assessed herself, her thoughts immediately went to her partner. Castle had been running ahead of her, weaving through the displays and shelves, when the creature had slammed into the store, causing the collapse of the front façade of the building. Squinting in the dim light, she searched for his familiar broad form.

"Castle?" she called out to him, her voice a little hoarse and raspy, yet still firm and strong.

A low grunt answered her. Her gaze flirted towards the source, releasing a sigh of relief as she saw the familiar shape of her partner silhouetted by the dim light that filtered through the rumble. Gritting her teeth, Beckett cautiously rose up to her feet and carefully made her way over towards Castle.

A display of scented candles had been knocked over, and he was buried in a small pile of thick aroma. He coughed, and sneezed, as he came to. Shaking his head, he knocked the cylindrical objects off, cursing mildly at the horrific artificial smells that had invaded his olfactory senses. A smiled touched her lips as he sat up with a huff, and a little shudder ran over his shoulders.

"You okay?" she asked when she neared him.

"Ugh," he grunted out as he ran a hand over the top of his head. "I think so. Just a little banged up. You?"

"The same," she replied, offering a hand.

Castle pursed his lips and accepted her help, grunting and groaning as he got up to his feet. He stretched his back and grimaced. Concerned, Beckett placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "Just a bit sore."

She nodded, and decided not to push.

"How long where we out?" he questioned.

Beckett glanced at her wristwatch, feeling her heart ease at the reminder her father was safely out of town visiting her Aunt Theresa. "Just after two," she answered. "So," she shrugged, "about twenty minutes. I think we'll be fine."

"Yeah," Castle agreed. "We've had worse."

"Yeah," she echoed, trying to add a light chuckle to it, but failing miserably. Placing her hands on her hips, Beckett glanced towards the ruined storefront. "I think it's gone. Whatever it was."

Castle cocked his head to the right and gave her a sideways look. " _Whatever it was._ Really, Beckett? You're going to deny the evidence, even when it was right in your face? Stomping and roaring? That—" he pointed emphatically towards the outside, "—was a monster, Kate."

Beckett let out a sigh, carding her fingers through her hair, wincing as she felt the cut. Castle's eyes flashed with concern, finally making the time to take in her disheveled appearance.

"You're bleeding!" he hooted in alarm, stepping closer, invading her personal space in the process.

He reached up, cupping her jaw in his palm as he gently tilted her head to the side so he could get a better look at the nasty cut on her brow. His fingers tenderly brushed aside some of her long hair as he examined her injury. His touch dusted along her temple then down the side of her face in a caring manner that had her heart clenching and stomach fluttering with butterflies.

"Castle," she said in a hot breath, unable to stifle the sudden and unexpected aroused quality out of her voice. He was too close, too tender, in his ministrations. She couldn't help herself.

He flinched slightly, seemingly unaware of his close proximity until she spoke his name, but the moment his eyes glazed over, she knew he felt it too. In the current situation, it was undeniable, the spark between them. It had been there for years, ever since their first meeting. Though she'd denied it then, suppressed the rising feelings and what they meant, she found that desire—the magnetic pull of attraction—was now just too difficult to fight against. She'd spent so long resisting, hiding away in nowhere relationships with men she didn't love, that to see it standing right in front of her, even under such crazy circumstances, made all her walls and defenses crumble.

His tongue flicked out to wet his lips. Her breath hitched and her eyes, practically on their own accord, dropped momentarily to take in the almost sensual motion of his tongue, before flicking back up to meet his darkening gaze.

They stared at one another for a long interval, where everything else just seemed to melt away. It was just them, no ruined store, no monster attack, no city. Just them. Two beating hearts… wanting.

Before she knew it, Castle was closing the distance, dipping his head down and capturing her wanting mouth in a bruising, demanding kiss. Her arms instantly wrapped around him, drawing herself closer to his broad frame, meeting him all the way, lips parting to let tongues dart in and play. His large hands sprawled down her back, gripping her slender hips, coaxing a whimpering moan of wanton lust and desire from her throat. She sucked on his bottom lip and nibbled up, seizing control, and deepening the kiss. Her fingers dragged through his hair, tugged and pulling, encouraging. One of his clever hands slipped further down to cup and squeeze her ass.

And suddenly reality came crashing back down around her.

Beckett hastily shoved him back, jerking away, gasping for air. Her hand came up to cover her mouth, in shock and awe, still tasting him on her lips. With wide eyes, she stared at him, and from the uncertainty and worry she saw reflected in his face, she immediately knew he was just as surprised as she was over their unexpected actions.

Heaving in deep breaths as she put some more distance between them, Beckett tried to rationalize the behavior, suggesting it only happened because of the recent near-death experience, and the joy of having miraculously survived it, not to mention the horrifying reality that New York City was being invaded by some gigantic monster, which—despite seeing it with her own eyes—Beckett was still struggling with believing. It was all just so surreal. All of it. But, all of those were just excuses.

And she knew it.

Kate Beckett had feelings—deep, genuine feelings—for Richard Castle. She had, for a long while, longer than she'd even care to admit. Yet, right now, it felt wrong, so wrong, but so right at the same time. It was baffling, and wondrous at the same time. Her heart pulsed wildly beneath her chest as she tried to regain some semblance of control.

"Kate?" Castle hedged softly, glancing at her with an apology on the tip of his tongue.

Beckett shook her head, waving it off. "Josh," was all she said.

Castle pursed his lips and swallowed hard, looking torn. She knew how he felt.

"Yeah," he answered after a long beat, his voice sounding so forlorn and alone, sad, yet understanding, which, really, just made it a little more heartbreaking. "I know."

And then it was as if the dam had broken, and the words just came flowing out before she could stop them. "He was on Liberty Island when it was attacked," she said, though he'd already known that. "He… he's dead. And I know how I should feel about that, _what_ I should feel." She stammered, pursing her lips and frowning, angry at herself. "But I don't. He was my boyfriend. And I'm sad he died, really… I am, but not _how_ I should be sad."

Beckett shook her head before continuing, "Jesus, Rick, this morning, you know what I was doing before all this started? I was thinking of breaking up with him. Telling myself to stop stalling, and just do it. But then he died, and with everything that's happened, I really haven't had time to… process it, and I guess… grieve? I don't know. But I just don't feel like I should be feeling."

She paused for a breath, feeling her eyes prickle with unshed tears, not for Josh, but for her own uncertainty and frustration, which somehow just made it all worse.

Looking up at Castle, she sought reassurance and meaning. "Does that make me a bad person?"

A long silence hung between them for a handful of seconds that, to Beckett, felt like nearly an eternity, before he answered her.

"No, Kate," he shook his head, gazing at her with a sympathetic expression. "It makes you human."

She let out a disgruntled breath, and hung her head, ashamed. "Well, it sucks," she declared.

"I know it does," Castle said. "I'm twice divorced. That kind of failure messes with you, makes you hesitant, doubtful."

"I'm sorry," she said, forcing herself to meet his eyes, she hadn't thought of that. "I shouldn't be laying all of this on you, especially now. I just…"

"It's okay, Kate," Castle asserted, trying to soothe her, but failing. "It's okay."

"But it's not," she insisted, firm in that. "He was my boyfriend, and he dies… and I feel nothing!? Nothing that I'm _supposed_ to feel when someone I'm _supposed_ to care about dies." Kissing Castle had been wonderful, amazing really, but she didn't enjoy the feeling of shame and guilt that swamped over her when she thought of the reason she could now kiss him, free of other obligations. She sighed, and shook her head, growling in frustration, at herself and the situation as a whole, not just between them now, but at the surreal crisis gripping the city. Now was not the time for this.

Castle held up his hands, approaching her as he would a spooked animal. She pursed her lips and grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest in a protective manner. She narrowed her eyes, and he halted.

"Our emotions are running high," he offered. "This is a stressful and tense situation. It's understandable."

No, Beckett thought, disliking the very idea. The noble bastard. He was giving her an out, and in spite of the guilt gnawing at her gut, she refused to take it. It would take time, Beckett knew that, but eventually she'd reconcile Josh's sudden and tragic death with her reaction. It wouldn't be easy, yet when were things ever easy for her? For them? Never, that's what. If things had been different, she didn't know if she'd have found the courage to break things off with Josh, to admit how she felt about Castle. This crisis, and the events surrounding it, had forced her hand. She closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. Josh would understand. He was— _had been_ —a good guy, a decent man. And she had enjoyed her time with him. She had. But he just hadn't been the right man for her, and somehow, even at the end, she thought he knew that. They both had.

Clenching her jaw, Beckett opened her eyes and met Castle's gaze, firm and unyielding. "It's not that, and we both know it," she declared, rather bold for her normal closed demeanor when it came to her personal feelings.

Castle let out a deep sigh. "I'm that obvious, am I?"

She let out an unexpected bark of laughter, and then bit her lower lip as she glanced at him from under her eyelashes. "There was nothing fake about that undercover kiss," she admitted out loud, and it felt freeing, even if her cheeks did warm on a mild blush at the admission she'd held close to the vest even since that case.

He stared at her, openly, not bothering to hide his shock at her statement.

"But…," she then started, feeling the need to clarify her position.

"And why did I know there'd be a _but_ ," he huffed out, grinning, lightening the mood as he always did with his trademark charm.

"But," she continued, more adamant this time, giving him a small taste of her infamous glare, "now is not that time for this conversation."

"Sadly, I must concur," Castle said with a reluctant nod. "Consider these matters tabled for future discussion. Agreed?"

Beckett met his eyes, trying to say more than she could in words, wanting him to know that even if this hadn't been particularly ideal, given the circumstances and the deaths happening all around, she hoped that they had a future… a future together. "Agreed."

With that decided, Castle bobbed his head, and stretched his legs, moving in a slow circle as he glanced around at their surroundings. "All right," he stopped by a toppled display case, and clapped his hands together. "First step then, we need to find a way out of this building."


	6. Six - 2:42 PM

**Nightfall**

* * *

 **SIX**

* * *

 **FRIDAY – 2:42 PM**

* * *

Getting out of the ruined store had actually been a little easier than both of them had originally assumed it would be. All they needed to do was locate the staircase, which wasn't too difficult. There was a set of stairs out in the open, not far from where they had regained consciousness. Beckett led the way, weaving through the overturned shelves and piles of broken cutlery. Castle kept close, and she could practically hear his breathing in her ear. It made her shiver, remembering their unexpected, but not entirely unwelcomed, kiss. Her lips still tingled from it. And she could still taste him on her tongue.

To be honest, it was a little distracting.

As they climbed up the staircase, moving cautiously, just in case the bearings were left unstable due to the monster's crash into the front façade of the building, Beckett worked at slowing her heartrate. Her skin was still flushed from their heated embrace and the discussion that followed. Beckett had not intended to reveal so much, but she didn't regret it—the timing, yes, but not the kiss. Never that. Never.

"Look!" Castle pointed towards the fading afternoon light that streamed through the gapping maw that had once been a set of windows that faced the street. The surrounding floor had caved in during the collapse, tilting forward in a way that it almost resembled a ramp. Though it was covered in debris and concrete rubble. Castle glanced towards Beckett with a hopeful expression. "What do you think?"

She pursed her hips and nodded. "It's doable, we'll just need to take it slow and easy," she hedged, worrying her bottom lip as she flirted her gaze up to the ceiling above, examining it for any structural damage or weaknesses. Last thing they needed was the floor above to crash down on top of them as they clambered down the rubble and debris to the street below.

Castle darted forward, moving far too fast and reckless for her liking. With quick reflexes, Beckett reached out and snagged him back by the scruff of his jacket, stopping him before he could accidentally trip over a loose piece of detritus and tumble headlong down the scree covered rumble. She yanked so hard that he almost toppled back into her.

"Damn it, Castle!" she flashed him a warning glare. "Be careful, will you? You might have broken your neck."

"Oh," Castle breathed, rubbing his neck and swallowing as if picturing such a horrific accident. "Yeah, don't want that to happen."

"No, we don't," Beckett agreed sternly, feeling her heart pound profoundly beneath her chest. Just a few moments ago, they had just taken a huge step towards a potential relationship. It would be far too soon to lose him now, before they'd had a chance to explore the possibilities. But first, before any of that could happen, they needed to survive this surreal crisis.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, essentially to hold Castle back, Beckett craned her neck out and scanned the street below them, as well as the shifting rubble beneath their feet. After declaring it safe, she led the way, slowly climbing down the rubble and debris that had once been the storefront of the Crate & Barrel that fell out into the street.

Once safely on the ground, having only one instance of worry when he'd lost his footing, Beckett watched as Castle frantically started padding his hands over his pockets, searching for his phone. She decided to do the same, pleased to find it still in her front jacket pocket. Removing it, she punched in her lock code. When she tried to make a call, she quickly discovered that she was unable to make a connection. It appeared that the cellular network system was really down this time. Pocketing her cellphone, she glanced up at her partner, seeing an expression of distress and frustration marring his handsome countenance.

"No reception, you?" she hedged, trying not to startle him.

His wild eyes darted up to hers. "No, nothing," he said, jaw clenched, the muscles flexing under his skin. She ached to reach out and soothe away the tension with her hand, but refrained from doing so. It was too soon.

"Did you try texting?" she asked, knowing that sometimes during emergencies text messaging worked better than trying to connect a voice call.

He inclined his head. "Won't go through," he sighed.

Beckett touched a hand to his arm, and squeezed, trying to comfort and reassure him.

"We should get moving," she said.

"Yeah, yeah," he bobbed his head, shoving his useless phone back into his pocket, following her lead after a brief pause.

The intersection was empty, save for a handful of abandoned automobiles and the grisly sight of soldiers that had either been ripped apart or stomped on by the gigantic creature invading New York. The air smelled funny. She could quite place it, but it was strange, like ionized oxygen of something. There was no sign of the creature, so they could only hope it had moved on and would not be retracing its path back.

Beckett did her best to ignore all of it and focus on the task at hand, finding a way to get them out of the city and reunite her partner with his family. She had seen so many terrible and horrific things during her time with the New York Police Department, both as a patrol officer, her time in Vice, and as a homicide detective. The things people did to other people could be quite appalling. Human beings could be monsters too. Probably more so than this thing— _this creature_ —that had destroyed Liberty Island and attack the soldiers lying on the street around them. It was just an animal, acting on instinct to protect itself, while the scumbags she hunted down and put way murdered with purposeful intent, sometimes for irrational reasons. People killed each other for the stupidest of reasons.

Sighing, Beckett shook her shoulders and closed her eyes, clearing her mind of such musing. Even though it was silent and still didn't mean that danger didn't lurk around the corner. And even if the massive creature wasn't the same as a human murderer, its presence on the island of Manhattan posed a danger to those she cared for… those she loved.

Shifting her gaze over at Castle, her chest clenched at the sight of his face, seeing him taking in the carnage of the battle between the soldiers and the large beast. She moved closer to him and trailed her hand down his arm until she could link their fingers together. She offered his hand a light squeeze, and she watched as he pursed his lips and swallowed.

"I can't help thinking of Alexis and Mother," he voiced, after a long beat, with a worried look twisting his brow.

"I know," she replied with a nod of her head. "We'll find them, Castle."

He stopped, tilted his head to look at her. His blue eyes narrowed just a bit as he thought, brow furrowing. "You know what, as insane as this whole thing is, when you say that, I believe you," he asserted, then let out a small chuckle.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Just… I've always believed in you, Kate," Castle explained. "No matter the situation or the obstacles. I just… I always believe in you. Always."

Beckett drew in a sharp breath, darting her eyes up to meet his. It was like she was seeing everything clearly for the first time. It was a little overwhelming. Wetting her lips, she offered him an inadequate smile for what she was truly feeling, but under the present circumstances it was the best she could do. She could only hope her eyes reflected out all that she had trouble giving words to.

"I feel the same," was all she could manage. And she meant it. She believed in Richard Castle.

Beckett remembered telling Damian Westlake, Castle's old school friend from the Edgewyck Academy, that very same thing not that long ago. Her heart still ached for Castle's disappointment that his friend had not been the man he'd thought he'd been. But her statement had been the truth and still was. She believed in Richard Castle.

They walked through the wreckage, still holding hands, and for some odd reason, even though they never did that sort of thing— _ever_ —Beckett didn't find it awkward or uncomfortable. Quite the opposite. His large hand engulfing her smaller one was reassuring, soothing. It was comforting to know she wasn't alone, and that it was him—Rick Castle—her annoying shadow, who was with her.

"Where do you think _it_ went?" Castle asked out of nowhere.

Beckett shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

As if on cue, two jets screeched overhead, soaring towards the south, supposedly in the direction the creature had went. Beckett exchanged a looked with Castle. His brow creased with concern, matching her own. That was the same direction as Canal Street, where the bus carrying Alexis and her fellow students was trapped in a logjam heading into the Holland Tunnel. Twin plumes of flame and smoke rose up into the air as the aircrafts delivered their payloads. The distant howling roar of the creature reverberated out into the air, sounding more pissed off than injured. The sounds of buildings buckling and crashing could be heard as the jets circled for another pass. Then, something, like a blue fireball, shot up into the air, impacting one of the aircrafts. The jet sputtered, and then in a flash, exploded in a blinding flare of orange and white light.

"Oh God," Beckett muttered, watching in horror, with large saucer eyes, as the wreckage spun uncontrollably to the ground and out of sight.

The second jet veered right, and with a burst of speed from its powerful engines, streaked away like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs.

"Alexis!" Castle exclaimed, eyes could wide with terror, his paternal worry overtaking him.

"This way," she tugged on his hand, taking action, hurriedly leading the way towards one of the abandoned automobiles. Castle followed, his grip tightening as they rushed towards the car. With the monster closing in on Alexis's last known location, they needed to get some form of transportation. "We won't be able to make it on foot."

"Oh yes, you got that right, not with Godzilla running rampart, spitting his blue fireballs," Castle chimed in, offering her a pursed lip smile, affable enough, but not as brilliant as his teasing smirks normally were, which, given the situation, was completely understandable.

Her chest swelled with warmth at Castle's attempt at humor in the face of such peril. She had learned that humor was his coping mechanism. It was one of the—at first—irritating qualities he had that she now found so very endearing. She could always trust Castle to find ways to lighten the mood during the darkest of times. Nodding, Beckett graced him with a matching smile, silently thanking him for his efforts—especially considering his own distress—with a tender squeeze of her hand, allowing her fingers to interlace with his so that their palms kissed. It felt so intimate for such a mundane and common act. Maybe it was because it was them, and it was something that they never did.

Approaching a silver sedan, Beckett let go of Castle's hand, albeit reluctantly. An odd sort of disappointment filled her chest at having to let go of him. She shook it off, not needing the distraction. Focusing her attention on the sedan, Beckett cupped her hands against the glass as she peered inside the vehicle. No keys. But that wouldn't stop her. She could hotwire the car if necessary. Stepping back, she tried the car door, and wasn't too surprised to find it was unlocked. When in a panic, someone could hardly be expected to think about locking up their vehicle when running for their life.

Turning back to Castle, she nodded. "Get in," she ordered, stepping back to usher him into the passenger seat as she swiftly hiked around the front hood to climb in behind the wheel.

"Are we stealing this car!?" hooted Castle.

"Borrowing," Beckett corrected, jerking her head up to meet his startled gaze. "I don't think they'd mind."

Ducking her head down, she yanked at the console below the steering wheel, pulling the paneling away from the key ignition. She tore at the wires, knitting her eyebrows together and chewing on her lower lip as she concentrated. It had been a while since she'd had to do this, but Beckett felt confident in her ability. After a few twists and a flick of her wrist, the engine roared to life. Sitting back, she let out a hot breath and brushed the hair back from her face. Her eyes flicked up to see Castle staring at her, mouth ajar, eyes wide.

"That was so hot!" he exclaimed in an excitable manner that had her grinning.

"Another hidden talent you can use for Nikki Heat, eh?" she replied with a saucy smirk and wink, before then flashing him a quick warning look as she changed gears. "Now buckle up, Castle, we might break some speed limits."


	7. Seven - 3:33 PM

**Nightfall**

* * *

 **SEVEN**

* * *

 **FRIDAY – 3:33 PM**

* * *

Almost there. The next right should get them onto Broome Street, and then it was just an easy matter of driving up to the corner where Broome intersected with Crosby. Beckett gripped the steering wheel, revving down Lafayette Street, blowing past Lt. Petrosino Square.

After she'd successfully hotwired the car—a skill she'd picked up during her reckless youth—Castle had requested they make a quick stop at his SoHo loft. He was worried about his mother. And with the cellular network now down, he didn't have any way of confirming her status in the evacuation. Seeing the concern itched along the lines of his rugged features, Beckett had wished she could soothe away the worry lines wrinkling his brow with her hand, but she had resisted. Instead, she punched down the on accelerator and raced down the streets, weaving this way and that according to the various obstructions that popped up in their way.

Skidding onto Broome Street, Beckett gritted her teeth, turning hard on the wheel to veer around an overturned city bus, and narrowly missed ramming headlong into a military hummer that was smeared with the blood and remains of soldiers. Castle gripped the console as Beckett hastily maneuvered them around the chaos. The car dropped down into a small crater indented into the asphalt, probably a footprint from the creature, and bounced back up just as fast, causing Castle to bump his head against the roof of the car.

Curling her fingers around the steering wheel, Beckett quickly regain control of the vehicle, before they could flip and end up like the city bus.

"Jesus!" Castle hissed, rubbing his head as he stared out the window, his eyes wide with shock at the street where he lived. The building on right side of the street, across of his own, where smashed and twisted, water spurting out from busted pipes. "It looks like a warzone."

"The whole city has turned into a warzone," Beckett replied.

Castle only inclined his head in silent agreement, letting out a deep sigh as he squinted out the window at the particles of debris that still fluttered down from the ravaged remains of the building across the street.

Beckett pursed her lips, following his gaze as she slowed their progress to a crawl, turning the car around an upturned tank and rolling up onto the curb just at the corner of Broome and Crosby, right in front of Castle's building.

"We're here," she stated, inanely into the void, needing to break the silence.

As if operating on instinct alone, Castle unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. After shutting off the engines by disconnecting the exposed wires under the steering wheel, Beckett hurriedly followed him. She didn't bother to shut the car door as she walked at a quick clip to join him at the front doors of his building.

Beckett narrowed her eyes, observing the tension in Castle's shoulders as they entered the lobby. Out of habit, he approached the elevator, but stopped himself just before he pressed the call button. Shaking his head, he glanced back at Beckett with an almost self-deprecating smile.

"As if the elevators would be working now," he nearly chuckled, but then grew serious just as fast. Jaw set, brow flat, Castle indicated the stairwell.

Beckett nodded, and moved to follow him, but paused for just a moment, absently reaching down to check the Glock still holstered to her hip. Flicking her thumb over the clasp, she unsnapped the strap to ensure a quick and easy release in case she needed to draw her weapon. Castle had stopped by the door, his brow raised when he noticed her action.

"Just a precaution," she stated flatly. Beckett wasn't expecting anything, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"If you say so," Castle replied, a little uneasily, and then pushed on the door, holding it open for her to precede him through it.

Gripping the handrail, Castle stormed up the stairs, feet pounding as he took two steps at a time. Beckett kept pace just fine, her long legs and lean frame making it easy for her to match his hasty stride. It didn't take them that long to climb up to the top floor. Castle would have burst through the front door if she hadn't tugged him back by the arm. They locked eyes, and he sighed, nodding, understanding the warning look she flashed him. Again, she wasn't expecting anything, but if there was one thing she'd learned on the job, it was to expect the unexpected. And if this day wasn't exactly that, then she didn't know what was.

Placing a hand on the hilt of her weapon, ready to withdraw it if need be, Beckett glanced at Castle one last time, before shoving through the door and out into the corridor. It was empty, as she'd been expecting, but the door to Castle's loft was ajar. A soft gasp escaped from her partner at the sight. She could feel the panic ripple off him. Her own stomach clenched with concern for the aging actress.

Castle would have rushed forward if Beckett hadn't blocked him. He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off with a stern look. Withdrawing her weapon, she held it up, adjusted her shoulders and approached the ajar door with caution.

"NYPD!" she announced, readying to kick the door fully open.

"Katherine? Is that you?" came the startled voice of Martha Rodgers.

"Mother!" Castle exclaimed, pushing past Beckett and crashing through the door, surging into the loft.

Beckett relaxed her posture and followed him inside, feeling the tension in her chest ease at the sight of her partner desperately hugging his mother. Holstering her weapon, she glanced around the loft with cop eyes. Everything looked to be in their proper place. She saw no signs of any disturbances or attempted break-ins. The dining room table had been made up, a tea set sitting in the middle, with a platter of little sandwiches and cookies. Her stomach rumbled and Beckett realized that she hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast, and even then, all she'd had was a bagel and coffee.

"What are you still doing here?" Castle demanded when he was done embracing his mother. "You should have been evacuated by now!"

Martha waved off his question in her standard fashion. "Oh, darling, I would have, but Holly here twisted her ankle trying to go down those awful stairs."

"Holly?" Castle hooted, alarmed.

"Yes," Martha affirmed in a rather theatrical manner. "Holly Hillybrock. You remember her don't you, darling, you used to call her Auntie Hilly when you were four."

Twisting about, Castle let out a yelp when he finally spotted the petite elderly woman with gray-blue hair reclining on the sofa. She was wearing a colorful, eye searing dress that could easily rival one of his mother's many outlandish outfits.

"Hello, dearie," Holly waved, smiling up at him with an apologetic expression. "Sorry to be a bother."

Beckett blinked, swallowing a bit of the small sandwich—turkey and swiss, with Dijon mustard—she'd been nibbling on. She stepped away from the dining room table to join her partner by the sofa, finally seeing the other woman. It was then that Martha noticed her. Martha beamed, waving her closer. Brow furrowing, Beckett hesitantly complied, and was soon scooped up in a motherly embrace that left her a bit dizzy and startled.

"Katherine, darling, so nice of you to come and check in on us old ladies," she declared theatrically as she stepped away from her whirlwind hug, trailing her hand down Kate's arm, squeezing in an affectionate manner.

"Mother," Castle snapped, clearly irritated. "Why didn't you just ask for help?"

"I did," Martha said. "But everyone was in a panic, and those young boys seemed so overwhelmed, and then they were being called away and… well, it got a bit chaotic when that beastie showed up, and we sort of got forgotten in the mix." The actress gestured dramatically towards the windows and the destruction outside before swooping around her distressed son to perch on the arm of the sofa, laying a comforting hand on Holly's shoulder. "So I brought Holly back here and we decided to wait it out."

Castle stood there, mouth agape. "This isn't some passing storm, Mother," he reprimanded. "You can't just wait it out."

"We've managed so far, darling," Martha enthused, emphatically raising her fisted hands into the air, brightly colored wrist bangles clattering noisily as she did so.

"Yes," added Holly, merrily. "We're tough old broads."

"Here, here," cheered Martha.

"Mother," Castle groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Oh, Richard, relax!" she stood up, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're so tense." Martha turned to Beckett. "Katherine, darling, tell him to relax."

Beckett snapped out of her reverie, having momentarily lost herself in the tumult that was the Castle family drama playing out in front of her. Releasing a breath, she stepped forward, glancing from Martha to Castle's pleading look and back.

"Martha, I'm sorry, but Castle's right," Beckett asserted with a decisive nod. "It's not safe to stay. We have to get out of here. The sooner the better."

"Yes, yes," her partner declared, nodding his head, jabbing a finger into the air. "Listen to Beckett. You always said she had a smart head on her shoulders."

"That she does," Martha agreed, eyeing both of them wearily, her eyes narrowed, as if taking in just how close Beckett was standing next to her son. "Very well," she relented. "But… oh my, what about Holly? Her ankle is pretty bad. She won't be able to walk. And I won't leave her. Really, Richard, you've known her since you were in diapers, you can't possibly be suggesting we leave her behind."

"What! No, of course not," Castle got out before his mother could continue. "We've got a car outside. I'll carry her."

"Really, dearie, that won't be necessary," Holly announced, attempting to stand, but wincing as she put pressure on her ankle.

Martha rushed in, coaxing her friend back down to the sofa. "Easy Holly," she soothed, crouching down and clasping the other woman's hand in hers. "Let Richard carry you."

"Okay," Holly relented, her wrinkled face scrunching up. "I just hate to be such a bother."

"You're not, Auntie Hilly," Castle reassured, using the name he'd used as a child with his mother's friend. "You're absolutely not."

Beckett stepped back as Castle moved around the sofa and bent down, gently taking the old, petite woman into his arms. She hugged his neck and sighed. Castle eased back up, Martha hovering by his side, fussing over both of them. Moving out of the way, Beckett trailed behind them as Castle marched towards the front door.

Casting one last glance around the loft, she closed her eyes and heaved in a deep breath, preparing herself to dive back into the fray. She hadn't known just how much she had needed this little respite from the chaos going on outside, until now, just as they were ready to depart. It had been brief, but needed. There was just something about the loft and the Castle family that relaxed her, when it should put her nerves on end and terrify her. Yet it didn't. It was very strange.

Nodding to herself, Beckett spun around in a slow pirouette and followed the others out.

Castle wouldn't say it, but Beckett could tell he was struggling after one floor, and without asking him, she simply stepped forward and helped him with his burden. Holly smiled pleasantly at her.

"What a charming young woman, you are, honey," Miss Hillybrock declared, glancing from Beckett to Castle. "She seems like a keeper, dearie."

"I keep telling him that, Holly," Martha announced from behind as they rounded the landing and headed down the final flight of stairs.

Castle grunted and glowered in his mother's direction. Martha merely beamed knowingly and winked. Beckett tried to ignore it, but she felt her face warm on a mild blush. Thankfully, they soon reached the bottom landing and Martha was pushing the door open for them as they assisted Miss Holly Hillybrock into the lobby.

"Almost there, Holly," Martha called back with a wave of her hand as she strolled ahead of them. She really could be quite the diva at times, but Beckett discovered that she found it an endearing quality, especially in Martha Rodgers. The woman made it work.

"Oh dearies, I think I can walk the rest of the way," Holly proclaimed after they made it through the front doors. "I hate being such a bother."

Castle looked dubious, but still gently lowered the older woman back down so she could put her tiny feet on the ground. Beckett recognized the stubbornness reflecting out of the woman's pale green eyes. It was something she understood, being stubborn herself, though she would rarely—if ever—admit that. Holly winced and grimaced as she put some weight on her right foot. Castle immediately ducked down.

"Lean against me, Auntie Hilly," he insisted.

Thankfully, Holly did not protest to that suggestion, and took Castle's proffered arm with a grateful smile.

"Oh my," Martha declared, standing straight and aghast as she glanced out at the wreckage and carnage along Broome Street. "I had no idea it was this terrible."

"Really!?" Castle groused, staring incredulously at his mother. "The 40-story monster didn't clue you in?"

Martha graced her son with a stern motherly glare that Beckett found quite impressive. "I'm not some senile old crone, Richard," she huffed. "Pardon me, if I sought shelter instead of running in the fray like some wild lunatic."

Castle opened his mouth to respond, a growl forming low in his throat, but Beckett cut him off with a pointed look, holding up both hands to stop the two from bickering. "Can we put a pin in this until later?" she asked. "Right now, we need to get moving."

"A sensible suggestion, Katherine," Martha agreed, smiling and glanced towards the silver sedan parked halfway up the curb. "This one?"

Beckett nodded, and moved to open the back door so that Martha and Castle could help Holly slide into the backseat. As they handled the other woman, Beckett strolled back around to the driver's side, brushing her hair out of her eyes as the wind snagged at it. She was just about to climb into the car when a strange vibration shook the ground. Castle stumbled a bit, but regained balance quick enough to catch his mother.

A low, rumbling roar sounded in the distance, followed by what sounded like a tank cannon and infantry gunfire.

"Good Gad, that sounds close," Martha remarked.

Beckett's gaze snapped to Castle's frantic eyes, knowing they were both thinking the same thing. Canal Street. All those buses, trapped in a logjam. It was like a buffet just sitting there for the creature. Castle's mouth moved wordlessly, the fear and worry for his daughter radiating off him.

"Castle," Beckett barked, grabbing his attention with the sharp tone of her voice. "Get in. Now."


	8. Eight - 3:51 PM

**Nightfall**

* * *

 **EIGHT**

* * *

 **FRIDAY – 3:51 PM**

* * *

"Katherine, I don't mean to criticize," Martha said from the backseat, "but aren't you going the wrong way?"

"Mother—"

"Considering the current crisis," Beckett answered from behind the wheel, cutting Castle off, "I don't think the rules of the road aren't that important."

Martha mulled over that for a second, before nodding in agreement. "Rightly said, Detective."

Beckett glanced back up at the rearview mirror, catching the reflection of Martha's eyes. She nodded, slightly in thanks. Beside her, sitting in the passenger seat, Castle flashed her a disgruntled look at having been cut off from reprimanding his mother, but she ignored him. Instead, she focused on her driving. Martha had been correct, technically she was driving the wrong way on Crosby Street, however, her reasoning was quite true. Castle sat back, folding his arms over his chest and grumbled something about how it was unfair that he was being ganged up on. Beckett stifled an eye roll at his petulant little boy behavior. All she'd been doing was saving them from the Castle family bickering, which wasn't really something they needed to have right now.

Turning right onto Howard, Beckett punched down on the accelerator, easily maneuvering the sedan around a handful of abandoned automobiles. Martha busied herself with tending to her friend. Holly kept babbling about how she hated being such a bother. And Castle just sat there, pouting, yet soon his worry for Alexis surged back to the surface.

A low, lumbering roar resounded off the tall building façades, echoing all around them. Castle jerked up, alarmed, eyes wide as he glanced at Beckett. She gritted her teeth, gripped the wheel tighter, and directed them towards Broadway. Narrowing her eyes, Beckett steered the car around a toppled street vender cart. She then momentarily took her eyes off the road to glance over at Castle, attempting to offer him a reassuring look. But then she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and she quickly slammed her foot on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt.

Castle gripped the dashboard and the side of the passenger door for support, while in the backseat Martha and Holly hollered in surprise. Beckett's heart skipped a few beats, as she sucked in quick breaths, blinking as she watched a dog arch his neck to briefly stare at the car headlights, before then darting away, scrambling across the debris from the wrecked storefront on the corner of Howard and Broadway.

"You okay?" Castle inquired, twisting his torso around to check on his mother and Miss Hillybrock.

Martha nodded, "I'm fine, Richard. Holly?"  
"I'm all right, dear," Holly asserted, hand over heart. "Just a bit startled is all."

Beckett pursed her lips and exhaled softly, shaking her head. She shifted back and prepared to push down on the accelerator, inching the car at a slow crawl towards the intersection. She slowed, arching her neck to check for obstructions, when suddenly several people came hurtling down Broadway from the direction of Canal Street. Cursing, Beckett quickly slammed the breaks again, making the car jerk.

Soon the street was nearly packed with a flood of people, running and stumbling, pushing and shoving. The panicked roar of the crowd was a dull overlay, and Beckett's mouth dropped at the sight. She had no idea so many people were still on Manhattan, but obviously not all the districts had been evacuated as efficiently as the Twelfth Precinct's assigned one. Also, many commanders, like Colonel Rourke, had probably pulled out to assist with the defense of the city, leaving behind those that had yet to be evacuated.

Jumping into motion, she shoved the car door open and launched herself up and out onto the street. There was a buzz to the air, combined the distant sounds of gunfire and explosions. She stared out at the stampede of people, unwilling to make any guesses as to what this could mean, because every possible scenario was worse than the next.

Castle was soon by her side, clutching her arm. "Kate," the low baritone of his voice, mixed with the urgent and frantic worry of a father, snapped her out of it.

Flicking her eyes up to his, she nodded, and strolled back to the car as he ran back around to urge his mother out of the backseat. Martha blinked, startled and concerned by her son's unexpected behavior as he wrenched open the door.

"Richard, what's wrong? What are you doing?" she questioned shakily as he practically pulled her out of her seat, holding her shoulders in a vise-like grip as he directed her around to the driver's side.

"Alexis is that way!" Castle said, pointing emphatically towards Canal Street, his eyes wild and a little crazed.

Martha comprehended immediately and ceased resisting as Castle pushed her into the driver's seat. The older woman shook as she gripped the wheel, glancing uncertainly up at her son and Beckett.

"I haven't driven in a long while," she said, voice wavering, the confidence that usually bloomed from her faded and dull.

Castle leaned in, smoothing a hand down her shoulder in what was an attempt at comfort. "You'll be fine," he reassured. "It's just like riding a bicycle."

"I never learned to ride a bicycle," Martha protested absently.

Beckett nudged Castle aside and crouched down beside the older woman. She placed a reassuring hand on the aging redhead's shoulder. "You've got this, Martha," she said, the certainty firm in her voice. She watched as some of the confidence grew back in Martha's eyes. "Just go back down Crosby, and head for the Williamsburg Bridge. As fast as you can."

Martha nodded. "Look after my son," she pleaded gently, her eyes growing wet. "And bring me back my granddaughter."

"I will," Beckett promised, not even considering the possibility that she might fail. She could not fail. Not now. She squeezed Martha's arm and then moved back to allow Castle to step in and kiss his mother goodbye.

Together, the pair stood back and watched as Martha shifted the sedan into reverse and backed away from them. Beckett swayed close to Castle, trailing her hand down until she found his. She laced their fingers together and squeezed.

"She'll be all right," she offered.

"I know," he answered after a beat. "She's one tough lady, my mother. Always has been. Always will be."

She nodded, and let him settle for a second, before turning and tugging him with her. "Now let's go find Alexis."

Castle clutched her hand tightly in his as she led the way towards the crush of panicked people, pushing and shoving their way through the flood. Above the frantic cries and shouts, Beckett could hear the sounds of battle in the distant, and the low, rumbling roars of the creature. Two attack helicopters drummed above their heads as Beckett and Castle spilled onto Canal Street, fighting against the stream, bumping shoulders and knocking aside people that got in their way.

Canal Street was packed with buses and cars. It was a scene of utter mayhem. The desperation and terror was thick in the air as Beckett watched as a slew of people struggling out of their vehicles and pouring towards the side streets, attempting to flee from the oncoming danger. It was utter chaos. A handful of military personnel were trying to keep the crowd orderly, but it was futile, the panic had already gripped them, seeping in like a wine stain on a white carpet.

A deep rumble, like a building imploding sent a vibration through the ground, and Beckett swayed slightly, clutching Castle's side as she fought to retain her balance. People screamed and cried out in horror. Ahead of them, Beckett glimpsed a young woman collapse, sprawling face first onto the asphalt. No one else seemed to notice or care. If Beckett didn't do something, the poor woman would get trampled.

"Castle!" she shouted, pointing towards the woman.

He nodded, and shoved his way past a sobbing man, using his broad frame to block the stampede enough for Beckett to scramble in and help the young woman back to her feet.

"Thank you, thank you," the woman cried, tears streaking down her cheeks.

Beckett held her close for a moment, until she had her steadied, and then let her go, watching her disappear back into the river of bodies. Castle turned back to her, the deep worry for not just his daughter's safety, but also of all those still trapped here, reflecting out of his expressive eyes. Castle was a man of deep feeling, and though he was focused on his daughter, the plight of everyone else was not lost on him.

She moved to Castle, and grabbed his arm, jerking her head towards the mass of buses lining up down Canal Street. One of them had to have Alexis or students from her class. But a tight ball of worry had started to form in her stomach. The creature was obviously closing in, and everyone was panicking. It was reasonable to assume that Alexis might no longer be on one of those buses. But, for Castle's sake, she was willing to search for as long as it took to find the teenager.

Castle took the lead, his broader frame making it easier for him to cut a path through the stream of panicked people. Beckett kept a hand on his back, moving quickly behind him, settling herself into the mindset she had whenever she accompanied SWAT on a raid. Castle growled and violently shoved a Wall Street suit out of the way, nearly throwing the man to the ground. Beckett reached out to steady the man, and in the process lost Castle in the rush.

Jaw clenched, body tense, Beckett waded through the bodies, feeling the panic prickled along her spine as the strange roar of the creature got closer and closer. Thunder without lightning sounded, and the ground quake beneath her feet. The gunfire grew louder and more desperate. A rumbling growl echoed above their heads, followed by some screams from the soldiers fighting the beast. She kept her eyes ahead, working her way through the crowd, resisting the temptation to glance behind her and see what was going on.

A school bus was up ahead, and Beckett spotted Castle pounding his fist against the side of a school bus, shouting for his daughter. She pumped her legs, and picked up speed, bounding through the crowd with an almost reckless quality. But her training served her well, and she made it to the bus just as Castle managed to pull the door open. Panting, Beckett flew up the steps behind him, only to find the bus empty.

"Another one!" he pointed, desperately shoving past her and dashing back out into the street.

Beckett had a sinking feeling that all the buses would be empty, but she didn't stop him from checking the two closest ones, which were, yes, empty.

"Where could she be?" Castle shouted, his shoulders trembling.

She didn't know what to say or do. So, she just wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close, burying her nose in the crook of his neck, closing her eyes and breathing him in. Tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes, Castle clutched to her with a fierce need. He looked at her as if she could fix everything, make it all better. But she couldn't. This was an impossible scenario. Not even Castle could have written something as insane as this. A monster attacking New York City, like something out of a movie. Things like this just didn't happen. Not in real life.

He sobbed into her shoulder. "God, Beckett, it's almost like I can hear her."

She pursed her lips, and fought to retain control of her emotions, wanting to be his rock, give him strength. But then her ears perked up, and over the din of scrambling, panicked people, and the battle in the distance, she could hear a faint, familiar voice.

"Dad! Dad!"

Shoving away from Castle, Beckett craned her neck up, wildly glancing around, and that's when she spotted the flame of red hair.

"Rick!" she shouted, snapping him out of his grief, pointing in the direction of the girl.

Bouncing on top of one of the buses a block away, waving her hands frantically in the air, was Alexis. Castle let out a cheer of joy at seeing his daughter. He waved back to her, tears streaming down his face as he clutched onto Beckett for support.

"It's her! It's my Alexis!" he was crying.

Their sudden jubilation, however, was cut off by the crash of an Apache helicopter as it swung around wildly in the air before slamming into the side of a building. People screamed as it burst into flames and them tumbled down towards the crowd. Arching her neck around, Beckett saw the creature stomping its way down Canal Street. Her eyes went wide in horror. It was only four city blocks away. Tanks, planted on either side of the street, bombarded the creature with blasts from their cannon guns, but it only seemed to anger it. Rearing back with a sinister snarl, the creature jerked its head forward, spitting out a blue fireball that impacted the tanks like a RPG, sending the tank exploded into the air, and soldiers retreating back.

"Oh God," Castle shouted.

The beast towered above the buildings, its size both terrifying and menacing. The massive jaws opened, displaying rows of shark-like teeth. And then a piercing, siren like wail sounded. Two Apache helicopters buzzed overhead, causing Beckett and Castle to duck their heads. One launched a missile at the monster. Beckett watched as the fierce creature shifted at just the last moment, sending the payload exploding into the side of the building.

"Castle!" Beckett cried, grabbing for his arm. "Run!"

She yanked him away from the horrific spectacle as the monster swung its large tail around and sent a dozen or so soldiers sailing into the air. Castle turned, letting her pull him along as they rushed towards the bus that Alexis was standing on top of.

Beckett shuddered as she heard the creature emit its wailing roar again. The ground vibrated with the force of it. She kept her gaze ahead, on their destination. Behind them, people were fleeing and screaming in horror. She couldn't do anything for them. As much as she wished otherwise, it was out of her hands. She wanted to save everyone. But she couldn't. She could only save those she cared about.

Shoving Castle ahead of her, Beckett glanced over her shoulder to see the creature rear back and spit out another one of those blue fireballs. The projectile impacted with one of the Apache helicopters, and the pilot lost control of the vehicle. Beckett's eyes grew wide as she realized the direction the spinning helicopter was spiraling towards.

Them.

"Castle, run!" she shouted.

Picking up on the urgency in her voice, Castle pumped his legs hard, grabbing her hand and running alongside her, working their way through the mass of vehicles that laid between them and Alexis. The fiery, doomed helicopter seared the sky above them, tumbling violently to the ground. Beckett's heart jumped into her throat when she realized they wouldn't be able to outrun it. Grabbing Castle, she yanked on him hard, tugging him down to the ground. He let out a startled grunt as he tripped and fell, landing hard on the ground with her on top of him.

The helicopter spiraled above their heads and crashed with a violent, explosive boom right into the cars just ahead of them. A blast of fire shut up into the air, heating their faces. Beckett seized Castle and urged him up to his feet again, risking one glance back at the looming creature slowly advancing down the street, before shoving him forward.

"Run, Castle!" she screamed. "Run!"


	9. Nine - 4:26 PM

**Nightfall**

* * *

 **NINE**

* * *

 **FRIDAY – 4:26 PM**

* * *

He couldn't let go. He just couldn't. Tears streamed down his face, unashamed. Castle clutched Alexis, his baby girl, to his chest, hugging her with a desperate fierceness that was whole heartedly reciprocated from his daughter. He buried his face in her long red hair, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply of her familiar scent. Beckett remembered similar embraces with her mother. Before she'd left for Stanford, Johanna Beckett had hugged her fiercely, much the same as Castle was doing with Alexis. Johanna had told her that even though she no longer had that new baby smell, there was something about her that was always uniquely Kate. And it was something Johanna had said she never wanted to forget. Beckett imagined it was much the same for Castle with Alexis.

Hands on hips, chest heaving with each breath, Beckett rubbed the soot and sweat off her brow. She watched Castle and his daughter with warm, soft eyes, giving them a brief moment before she shattered their reunion with reality. Chaos was still unfolding behind them as the monster swatted at the hovering helicopters like they were buzzing flies. Thankfully, the beast was distracted enough to halt its forward momentum down Canal Street, providing them with a small window for a much needed respite. Not far away was the blazing wreckage of the downed Apache that had almost crash into her and Castle as they fled from the advancing creature.

"We need to go," she announced after a beat, placing a gentle hand on Castle's shoulder. He nodded, and separated from his daughter, but did not completely let go. Beckett ached to do the same with him, wanting desperately to hold his hand and lean against his broad frame for support, yet now wasn't the time or place for that sort of thing. She needed to be Detective Beckett right now.

"Where to, Detective?" Castle asked, still clutching his daughter with one hand, the teen ducked close to him, secured in the protection of her father's solid frame.

Beckett assessed the situation with cop eyes. Currently they were near Wooster Street. Judging by the creature's current progress, it was still around Lafayette, and if it continued down Canal, as it appeared to be doing, she suspected it was heading for the Hudson River. So, making for the tunnel would be foolish at best, suicidal at worse. Glancing out frantically, she contemplated trying to double back around, head north and then west, and attempt to reach the Williamsburg Bridge, but they were on foot, and she did not think it would be as easy to find another vehicle that wasn't already somehow damaged.

The drumming of rotors, different from that of the Apache attack helicopters, thundered overhead, forcing Beckett to crane her head back to look up. A group of Black Hawk helicopters were hovering above the rooftops of the Sheraton and Hilton Garden hotels. She couldn't be sure, but she had to hope they were sent to rescue evacuees and ferry them across the Hudson River and to relative safety. She had a decision to make, and she made it fast.

"The Sheraton," she shouted, pointed up so that the others could see. "To the roof, now!"

Beckett ushered Castle and Alexis forward. Turning she gestured to the two dozen or so other students, which included Paige, Alexis's best friend, to follow the pair. Beckett then took up the rear as everyone dashed through the conglomeration of packed buses and automobiles, heading up the block towards the front façade of the hotel.

It had been a rather bold and brazen choice to remain behind, but these twenty students thought that joining the reckless and growing panic would only make things worse. Beckett didn't know if she entirely agreed with their decision to remain, considering the fact that there was a massive creature barreling, seemingly unstoppable, down the street. But Alexis's choice not to flee, staying with the bus, had been sort of a blessing for Castle and Beckett.

If Alexis had left with her teacher, as most of the students had, then Beckett didn't know what they would have done. Eventually, she would have had to convince Castle to retreat with her off Manhattan and head for the Meadowlands, hoping and praying that the teen had somehow been able to make it to MetLife Stadium with the other evacuated school students. Beckett couldn't even imagine how hard that would have been. Castle would have been distraught, difficult to convince to do anything other than scour the entire city for his daughter. He was like that, when it came to the people he loved.

An explosion behind them signaled the destruction of another tank, and the gunfire was steadily decreased as more and more soldiers began to fall back or opted for full on retreat. Glancing over her shoulder, Beckett saw the creature slam into the side of a building, instantly sending shards of concrete and glass flying towards the ground. As it heaved its massive bulk away, the building buckled and collapsed inwards, sending up a cloud of dust and debris.

She had lost sight of Castle and Alexis in the fray, but found them once again after rounding a stalled city bus and helping a student up after he had stumbled over the curb. Castle was frantically waving his arms at them, and Beckett gripped the teenage boy's shoulders, directing him ahead of her as they ran towards the hotel's front doors. Castle placed a hand on her back as he ushered her inside, Alexis by his side.

The ground shook beneath their feet, and the dull sound of the monster's wailing roar could be heard as Beckett and Castle shepherded the students towards the stairwell.

"I don't know if this is even going to work," Beckett confessed to him in a quiet, breathless voice after the last of the students was through the door. Only Alexis remained, and Beckett wasn't worried about speaking truthfully in front of her. The teenager had a good head on her shoulders and Beckett knew that she could trust Alexis to take the news appropriately.

Castle merely nodded, grave in understanding. "I know, but we have to try," he replied, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, before he turned to Alexis and helped her through the door.

The stairwell echoed with the footsteps of the two dozen students as they rushed up and up. Castle and Alexis were in front of her, and as they passed the third-floor landing, Beckett felt the ground quake again, this time much more violently. The creature was getting closer. Beckett's eyes flashed to Castle's, matching the concern and terror.

 _This is going to be close_ , she thought, as she blinked back into action, spurring Castle and Alexis onward.

"Don't stop," she shouted. "Go. Go. Go!"

And they did.

Her feet pounded hard against the steps as she flew up the stairwell, gripping the railing for added support, hurtling herself forward. Her legs burned with the effort, and lungs ached from the near nonstop exertion. Fatigue was beginning to set in, but adrenaline still provided her with enough fuel to carry on. When this was all over, Beckett knew she was going to crash hard. Everyone was.

"Almost there!" Alexis cried, her voice carrying the hopeful quality of youth.

Beckett latched on to it, believed in it. They had to make it. Those troops on the rooftop couldn't abandoned them. It just had to all work out. She wouldn't except failure. Not now. Not ever.

"It's locked!" a student wailed ahead of them.

"Clear a path," Beckett ordered, hiking up the stairs, squeezing her way through the mass of students as they bunched around the rooftop access door. She assessed the lock and grimaced. Unhooking her Glock from the holster on her hip, Beckett withdrew her weapon and aimed. "Stand back."

Castle relayed her instructions. "Back! Back!"

Taking aim, Beckett pursed her lips and fired, blowing the locking mechanism. Castle moved ahead of her and rammed the door open with his shoulder, sending it flying back on its hinges.

Bursting out onto the roof behind Castle and Alexis, Beckett sucked in a deep breath of the cooling late afternoon air. The sun was beginning the early process of setting, and nightfall would come for them soon. The thrumming sound of the hovering helicopters thundered down upon them as they broke out onto the roof. Beckett shoved her way through the crowd of students, waving her hands up at the helicopters, hoping and praying one of the pilots saw them.

The hotel shook as the creature rammed into another building not far away. Looking back towards the street, Beckett saw that it was rapidly approaching their location. She bit her lower lip and furrowed her brow, praying that she hadn't led Castle, Alexis, and all these students into a deathtrap.

But then, almost miraculously—because that's how it felt to her jackhammering heart—one of the Black Hawks descended towards the rooftop. Narrowing her eyes, Beckett spotted another one doing the same thing across the street on the Hilton rooftop, where other people were waving frantically at the hovering helicopters.

"Get back," Beckett shouted, spreading her arms wide as she ushered the students away from the landing. Castle, with his broad frame, and baritone voice, helped in clearing a space for the helicopter.

The Black Hawk touched down easily, the powerful rotors generating strong winds that whipped Beckett's long hair around her face. She held a hand up to shield her eyes and watched as the door opened up. A pilot emerged, hopping down to the rooftop. As the pilot approached, Beckett noticed the vague feminine shape beneath the uniform. The woman was about her height and build, with a wide mouth and a little dent in her chin. She wore the bars of a lieutenant.

"How many?" the lieutenant demanded, in a firm and authoritarian voice.

Beckett flicked her eyes down to the patch with the woman's name. "We've got about two dozen students with us, Lieutenant Dallas," she said, reaching down to produce her badge. "Detective Beckett, NYPD. I need to get them out of here. Can you help us, Lieutenant?"

"That's what we're here for, Detective," Lieutenant Dallas answered. "We can take ten in each copter." She turned around and signaled with her hand to her co-pilot, who nodded and relayed the number of civilians to the other hovering helicopters. "Let's get the first batch in now," Dallas said, turning back.

"Right," Beckett shouted over the drumming rotors.

Spinning, she grabbed the arm of one of the students, and urged them forward. Lieutenant Dallas stood by the helicopter's passenger section, helping the students up and into the passenger compartment. After it was full, she stepped back and signaled to her co-pilot to lift off. As the first helicopter rose and banked away from them, another one soon moved in, taking its place. With Lieutenant Dallas's help, they loaded up another batch of students. Castle was counting heads, and looked to Beckett with an anxious expression after a quick calculation.

"We'll need one more," he said.

"I know," Beckett answered, watching as Dallas assisted one more student into the helicopter before stepping back and signaling it to takeoff.

Behind them the monster roared, making the air crackle and snap with the energy of it. Dallas jogged back, clearing the space as the helicopter's rotors picked up speed and the Black Hawk slowly rose up into the air.

"We're up next," Dallas informed them as a third Black Hawk moved into motion, hovering for a moment, before making its descent.

"It's getting closer," Beckett noted, glancing over the edge of the roof.

She watched as the creature tore into the side of a building with the talons on its clawed hand, sending shards of glass and chunks of brick and concrete tumbling down to the street. Frowning, she scrutinized the dark shape of the creature, noticing for the first time that its lower torso seemed to be covered in a slick, oozing substance that looked a lot like blood. It wasn't indestructible after all, she mused.

Beckett stepped away from the edge as the huge beast loomed nearer. A large eye, yellow and reptilian, blinked down at her.

Castle groped for her, snagging her arm and pulling her back. "Kate!"

She stumbled into him, jostled.

The creature opened its massive maw, displaying rows of sharp teeth. A piercing roar, that sounded halfway to a screech and a howl, bellowed down on them like a sonic blast. Beckett grimaced and clutched her hands to her ears, backing up. The creature reared back and brought down its claw, smashing the part of the roof Beckett had just been standing before Castle had yanked her back. The monster howled again and swung its other clawed hand down on the rooftop. The building began to buckle beneath their feet.

"Move!" Dallas shouted, easily regaining her balance. She grabbed Paige and another student, shoving them ahead of her as they rushed for the waiting helicopter. Beckett could just barely hear the alarms blaring from inside the cockpit. The two pilots were frantically working at keeping the Black Hawk steady as they waited for their passengers.

Alexis clung to her father as she probably had as a little girl. Castle held out his other hand for Beckett.

"Kate!" he cried.

Hands clasped, Beckett and Castle, along with Alexis, ran for the helicopter as the building began to crumble beneath their feet. She could feel it, the shake and quake of it, the yawn just before the supports gave in, the moment the pressure and abuse were just too much for it to take. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers, and she surged Castle onwards, propelling him in front of her as they booked it for the Black Hawk. Castle and Alexis reached it first. Dallas was hanging on the edge of the opening, and quickly helped Alexis climb in, securing her by Paige, before assisting Castle in.

He immediately turned and stretched his arms out for her, screaming her name over the thrumming of rotors and crashing, roaring, chaos all around them.

"Castle!" Beckett shouted back, feeling the rooftop beneath her feet start to give way. The howling roar of the monster filled the late afternoon air as it appeared to lose balance and rammed harder into the hotel. The rooftop tipped, slopping, and Beckett nearly lost her footing. She gasped in alarm, jerking her eyes up to meet Castle's.

He shook his head, pleading, holding out his hand.

Castle screamed for her, "Kate!"

She pumped her legs as hard as she could, feeling the burning, working through it. The building started to imploded in on itself. She didn't have much time. Beckett looked at Castle, and willed herself to jump.

She reached for him.

And he caught her. He snatched her outstretched hand just as the rooftop collapsed down into dust and debris, leaving her feet dangling in the air. Inside the alarms were beeping and ringing, but the pilots managed to keep the helicopter level as they lifted up and away. Beckett hung in the air for a long moment, feeling the wind caress her face. She glanced down, past her swaying feet, at the beast below. It stared up after Beckett, roaring like it was angry it didn't get her, which made no sense. It was just an animal. How could it be angry at her?

"Hang in there," Castle was saying, grunting as he worked at keeping his hold of her. Dallas moved up next to him and reached out to help, gritting her teeth as she heaved back.

Soon, Beckett was tumbling into the passenger bay, landing on top of Castle. His arms came around her, hands clutching at her with a desperate need that matched her own need for reassurance that she was, in fact, still alive. The Black Hawk shook slightly as it fought against a strong current of air, but soon righted, rising up high, before circling the area. Dallas stepped in, assisting them both up to their feet, and then secured them into two opened seats: Castle beside Alexis, while Beckett perched on the outside seat, wind whipping at her hair. She closed her eyes, breathing in the cold air, letting it chill her lungs.

It was terribly loud inside the compartment. The engines above them, spinning the rotors, gave off such a deafening buzz that she could hear little else but the thumping, chopping noise of the blades slicing through the crisp air. Flirting her eyelids open, she glanced at Castle and reached up with one hand to brush her fingertips along his jaw. He gazed at her with equal astonishment, grasping the side of her face in his large palm, his thumb teasing across the beauty mark on her cheek. And then he was closing the distance, ramming his mouth against hers in a fierce, life affirming kiss, before pulling back and flushing slightly in apology. She shook her head, waving it off, and offered him a brief smile. He smiled back, before turning around to his daughter and hugging her into his side.

Below, the beast opened its mouth, head arched up, and made a mournful sound. That's when she heard the muffled bang of two tank guns, their shells impacting the monster right at the base of its skull. The monster moved jerkily, howling anguished as it staggered amongst the wreckage around it. It wasn't angry, she realized, it was in pain. This whole time, the aggressiveness. It was spurred on by tremendous pain. It was just defending itself.

Looking down from so high above, the thing didn't look so big. Only the buildings it was standing amongst gave it the proper scale. It was so bizarre looking from this distance, a hodgepodge of different aquatic and reptilian creatures. And now, from this vantage point, she could see that it was, indeed, severely injured as she had suspected, that dark, slick blood-like substance seemed to cover its whole back and lower torso. It was dying, she thought. In tremendous agony and pain. And dying. Alone. Feared and attacked for simply existing. They were witnessing its death throes.

The two tanks continued to bombard the beast with strikes as it thrashed violently around in the rubble of the Sheraton Hotel. The booming screech of an A-10 Thunderbolt resounded through the sky, and the aircraft buzzed by, delivering its explosive and deadly payload. Plumes of fire and smoke burst into the dying sunlight, engulfing the strange, gigantic creature.

The helicopter banked right, setting a heading to take them across the Hudson River, and Beckett lost sight of the creature. She closed her eyes and leaned against Castle's side. Oddly enough, the last thing she heard, before unconsciousness took her, were the strange mournful howls of the dying monster. And despite the peril it had placed them in, Beckett felt sad for it.


	10. Epilogue - 6:12 PM

**Nightfall**

* * *

 **EPILOGUE**

* * *

 **FRIDAY – 6:12 PM**

* * *

The last rays of sunlight filtered over the horizon and soon vanished, night falling over the crowded and packed MetLife Stadium. However, the mass of people were not there to watch a New York Giants or Jets game, neither were they there for some concert event. No. The tiers of seats were filled, and the field teemed with bodies of New Yorkers evacuated from their city. Cots with starchy blankets littered the end zones, pressing up towards the seating. The center of the field, at the 50-yard line, stood a pavilion style tent had been propped up, with FEMA staff inside, ready to assist those searching for loved ones they had been separated from during the mayhem that had been the evacuation and the ensuing chaos that had followed.

Kate Beckett wandered the sideline, cellphone to her ear, as she listened to her father's relieved voice. Cellphone service had been restored twenty minutes prior. Medics had already seen to her injuries. The cut on her head had been washed and bandaged with butterfly stitches. Some other scraps along her arms and legs had been bandaged as well. All in all, she'd fared a lot better than some of the others New Yorkers, who were now being tended to in numerous medical tents set up in the parking lot. Lanie was out there, working. Her best friend had given Beckett an earful for worrying her, before hugging her tight and telling her to stay clear of monsters from now on. Beckett had chuckled good-naturedly and promised to do her best.

" _Thank God, you're safe!_ " Jim Beckett exclaimed over the phone line. " _Your Aunt and I have been watching the news reports. It's still all so unreal. I can't believe this happened. Theresa keeps saying it's like something out of movie_."

"It was," she agreed. "And I was right in the middle of it and still had trouble believing it was happening."

" _Are you sure you're okay, Katie?_ " he asked, clearly concerned. She could imagine his face, twisting with parental worry, like he had back when she'd first bought her motorcycle.

"I'm fine, Dad," she assured, glancing over to where she'd left Castle and Alexis. Martha was with them, and it warmed her heart to see the family reunited. The aging Broadway Diva had followed Beckett's instructions to the letter, and got herself and her friend, Holly Hillybrock, safely over the Williamsburg Bridge and into Brooklyn, where the two had encountered Esposito, Ryan, and Jenny O'Malley, Ryan's fiancée. "Really. Just a little banged up. Nothing to worry about."

She had already informed her father about Josh and what had happened to him, and briefly told him of her reaction—or lack thereof—and how that had made her feel guilty for the feelings she had for Castle. Her father had listened, as he often done when they had their Sunday brunches, and then told her that she shouldn't allow such guilt to hold her back from being happy, adding that he always suspected she cared more about the writer than she'd been willing to admit.

" _If you say so_ ," Jim relied after a beat. " _But all the same, your Aunt and I will drive down as soon as the government allows_."

"I'd like that," Beckett said, smiling, missing her father. "I'll see you then?"

He hummed in response. " _Love you, Katiebug_."

"Love you, Dad," she replied and then hung up, pocketing her phone and slowly turning around to saunter back to the cot the Castle family had been allocated.

Martha was fussing over her son, running her hands—colorful wrist bangles jangling—over his face and scalp, inspecting all the bumps and bruises he'd acquired during their escape from the city. Alexis had already suffered the inspection, and was currently grinning, laughing lightly at her father's expense. Castle spotted Beckett approaching and his eyes lit up with hope.

"Beckett, save me!" he called, beseechingly, imploring her with his eyes for rescue.

She bit her lip to stifle a laugh at his desperate expression, eyes lighting up with amusement as she watched Martha brush her fingers down his shoulders and arms.

"Oh, shush, kiddo," Martha chastised, in full mother mode. "You and your heroics. I don't know where you get it."

"From you, Mother, obviously," Castle grunted, attempting to wave away her hands, hoping his praise would soothe his fussing mother. It didn't. "I'm fine. Beckett," he glanced up at her pleading, "tell her I'm fine."

She held up her hands. "Don't look at me. I'm not getting involved."

Growling, his eyes flicked over to his giggling daughter. "Alexis?"

"You're on your own, Dad," she grinned.

"Traitor," he grumbled, and slumped his shoulders, surrendering in defeat to the chorus of giggles from Alexis and stifled laughter from Beckett. Frowning Castle just stared blankly ahead, accepting his mother's worrying.

Beckett shifted, cocking her hip to the side as she crossed her arms and watched the show. Her lips quirked up in amusement as Martha worked her way back to his face. Castle, on the other hand, had had enough, and shook his shoulders and head, jumping up and away. He held up his hands to forestall Martha's protests and the older woman demanded he sit back down, using what Beckett assumed was her sternness tone.

"I'm fine, Mother," he asserted, placing gentle hands on her shoulders to keep her seated on the cot. "I'm fine. No need to worry. You didn't fuss this much when I was five and bumped my head on a low hanging lighting rig at the theater."

Martha waved her hand dramatically and made a dismissal huff. "You just got right back up, didn't feel a thing until Irene pointed it out to you." She shrugged. "I'd say a monster attack warrants my overly motherly behavior." Martha paused, turned to Beckett, as if she were a kindred spirit. "Right, Katherine?"

"Um," Beckett opened her mouth, caught in the headlights. She really didn't want to get in the middle of things.

"Leave her out of this," Castle interjected, saving her from having to answer. "Just… relax, Mother. Drink some water. Hydrate."

And then before his mother could object any further, Castle had turned around and gently grabbed Beckett's arm, gesturing her to follow with him. She raised her eyebrows, but relented, easily spinning around and picking up her stride to match his gait as he strolled across the football field.

"Sorry about that," he said in a soft, apologetic voice.

"Don't be," she glanced at him with a smirk. "It's actually kind of sweet, the way she mothers you."

"Not her usual way, though," he pointed out. "It's… frightening, really. Still," he relented with a sigh. "I guess I can forgive her. Not every day we survive a monster attack."

"No," Beckett concurred, nodding her head. "Definitely not."

"Thank you," he said, grateful and awed. "I don't think I said that yet. But thank you, for helping me find Alexis… and Mother. I don't think I could have done it without you."

Beckett gazed into his eyes, hoping she was able to convey everything that she could not yet fully give voice too. Yet. "Anytime, Rick."

A comfortable silence blanketed them as they continued to walk along the sideline, gazing out at the sea of evacuees, families reuniting, and FEMA workers assisting people where needed.

"Hell of a day, huh?" he said, stopping to face her.

Beckett's eyes snapped up to his, and she blinked, startled at the moment of déjà vu, flashing back to the first time he'd said that, not that long ago, actually. She shivered, still feeling the phantom chill from that day. Beckett pursed her lips and swallowed, returning to the present.

"Hell of a day," she echoed.

Castle smiled softly and slipped his hand down her arm, and found her hand. She dropped her head, biting her lower lip as she laced their fingers together until their palms kissed intimately. Castle breathed in deeply, and stared down at her with a tender look that Beckett was starting to get used to. Her heart swelled with the truth shining in his eyes, knowing it reflected out of her own.

"You know, I was thinking…," he shifted nervous, averting his eyes momentarily. "I was thinking maybe after everything settles, we could um… I don't know, maybe…"

Unable to handle his waffling and rambling, not wanting anything to interfere with it this time, Beckett acted before she could think better of it, inching forward, canting into his broad frame, and pushing up on her toes, covering her mouth with his in a kiss that spoke more than she ever could with words.

Dropping back down, she gazed up at him from beneath her eyelashes. "Yes," she answered his unfinished questioned.

"Yes?" he asked breathlessly, stunned.

Beckett smirked, loving the shocked look on his face, memorizing it. "Yes," she declared. "Yes."

He squeezed her hand, responding to her affirmative answer with a brilliant, beaming smile. And as night fell around them, Beckett's heart thrummed with hope, remembering something she learned on one of the darkest days of her life: Even on the worse days, there was always the possibility of joy.

* * *

 **THE END**


End file.
